You may not need statins if you have high cholesterol

Health in a Heartbeat

For millions of Americans, eating oatmeal isn’t enough to lower cholesterol. Many leave the doctor’s office with a high cholesterol diagnosis and a statin prescription.

One study from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University reported that by 2019, 818 million people were prescribed statins. But perhaps that number may change.

As many as 40% fewer Americans need statins, a new JAMA Internal Medicine study found.

In 2023, the American Heart Association developed the Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events equations, known as PREVENT, to estimate atherosclerotic [ather-oh-skler-ottic] cardiovascular disease risk.

This was an update to the 2013 equations, which were criticized for overestimating risk.

The PREVENT equations were based on current populations and adjusted for statin use and kidney function. They removed race as a factor.

Researchers analyzed data from 3,785 adults between ages 40 and 75 without atherosclerosis who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from January 2017 to March 2020. Their 10-year risk of heart disease was estimated using the PREVENT equations and reviewed against earlier risk predictions.

Results showed that far fewer adults qualified for statin prescriptions under the updated equations. Researchers estimated that more than 17 million adults previously prescribed statins would no longer be eligible for them.

No word yet on whether statin guidelines might change to reflect the study’s results. But perhaps in the future, many of us can enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with our morning coffee, rather than swallow a pill.