Increasing statins dose and patient adherence could save more lives

Improving adherence to cholesterol-lowering treatments reduces cardiovascular risk for at risk patients. Thousands of heart attacks and deaths from cardiovascular disease could be prevented by patients taking higher doses of statins and taking the drugs as advised by doctors. The findings come from a study led by researchers at Imperial College London and University of Leicester, which estimates that 12,000 cardiovascular events - such as a heart attack or stroke - among high risk patients in the UK could be averted by placing patients on high intensity cholesterol-lowering drugs and ensuring patients stick to the correct treatment regimen. The basic message here is that long-term adherence achieves better long-term cholesterol reductions, and in turn, achieves better long-term outcomes for patient Professor Kausik Ray Study author The paper, published today in the journal JAMA Network Open , is the first to look at the combined effect of high intensity statin treatment and adherence in patients who have already had a cardiovascular event and who are at increased risk of future cardiovascular events compared to the general public. It reveals that that those taking the highest doses (intensity) of statins to reduce their LDL cholesterol levels (the 'bad' cholesterol which builds up in the arteries) and, crucially, who take the medication as advised by their doctor, see the biggest reductions in risk for future cardiovascular events. Patient adherence describes the degree to which a patient follows medical advice and takes medication correctly.