A recent study indicates that if national guidelines adopt the new PREVENT equations, about 40% fewer U.S. adults might be recommended statins for heart disease prevention, decreasing from 45.
4 million to 28.3 million individuals. This study, which utilized recent and diverse data, suggests a need for targeted cholesterol management in higher-risk populations and careful communication with patients who may no longer meet statin criteria under these updated guidelines.
Adopting new PREVENT equations could lead to a significant reduction in statin recommendations, impacting 40% of currently eligible U.S. adults, and highlights the importance of precise risk assessment and patient communication in cholesterol management.
If national guidelines were updated to include a new risk equation, approximately 40% fewer individuals may qualify for cholesterol-lowering statins to prevent heart disease, suggests a study involving researchers from the University of Pittsburgh , Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , and University of Michigan . The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine , explores the implications of broadly implementing the PREVENT equations, introduced by the American Heart Association in November 2023. These equations are intended to refine the tools doctors use to estimate a patient’s 10-year risk of a heart attack or stroke.
At a population level, the number of adults recommended for statins could decrease from 45.4 million to 28.3 million.
At the same time, t.
