On a Statin? You May Be Able to Stop
New guidelines say that millions may be able to quit statins
Statins are among the most used medications in the United States. A big reason for this, especially in recent years, has to do with guidelines established in 2013 by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC). These guidelines estimated overall 10-year risk of developing blood vessel damage, known as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). They made a lot of people eligible for statins.
The number of individuals who reported taking any statin went from 31 million (12% of the population) in 2008–2009 to 92 million (35%) in 2018–2019, representing a 197% increase. After 2013, when the new guidelines were established, the number of individuals who used statins increased by 149%.
In 2023, the AHA developed new equations called Preventing Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events (PREVENT) which were essentially an update to the 2013 guidelines. As a result of this update, there is a very large subset of people who may no longer need statins, leading to a reduction of 17.3 million prescriptions.
How doctors calculate cardiovascular risk
There are currently 3 recommendations established by the AHA/ACC on prevention of…
