Nearly all men over 60 and women over 75 eligible for statins, analysis suggests

[Northerner]

Almost all men over 60 and women over 75 should be eligible for statins, according to a new analysis.

After examining guidance on which patients should be offered stain therapy, researchers calculated 11.8 million English adults are eligible for the cholesterol-lowering drugs.

This works out to be more than a third (37%) of people between the ages 30 and 84, the researchers said.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...ver-75-eligible-for-statins-analysis-suggests

Over-medicalisation The more people who take them, the greater the number who will suffer side-effects. GPs may be 'highly-trained to prescribe based on the individual circumstances of the patient in front of them', but not all of them have the time or inclination to do so.

 

[grovesy]

There is another article in another paper saying too many are being given out.

 

[mikeyB]

Bollards. Statins are only of proven benefit to people who have cardiac problems. You can't just give statins to healthy folk in the vague hope it might be of benefit, it's wrong.

 

[Northerner]

Bollards. Statins are only of proven benefit to people who have cardiac problems. You can't just give statins to healthy folk in the vague hope it might be of benefit, it's wrong.

I saw a claim that giving statins to 11.8m people will prevent 290k CV 'events', which works out at around 97.5% of people taking pills that offer no benefit and, given that statins a powerful drugs and they don't really know how they help, could cause harm 🙄

 

[mikeyB]

Exactly, Northie. 5 minutes of cost benefit analysis should strangle this idea at birth.

 

[Northerner]

GPs fear workload surge as NICE backs statins for 'almost all' over-60s

NICE updated its guidelines on prescribing statins in 2011, ushering in new rules that recommended prescribing the drugs to patients with a 10-year risk of cardiovascular event of 10%, down from the previous score of 20%.

The current study, published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP), analysed for the first time the consequences this change would have on the English population, warning there would be 'major consequences' for GP workload.

It found that the QRISK2 algorithm used to calculate the score gives such large weighting to age that this 10% risk threshold will eventually be exceeded in all adults – including those with no other increased risk factors.

http://www.gponline.com/gps-fear-wo...all-over-60s/health-promotion/article/1440784

(free registration required)

How come NICE can recommend this, with a 97% 'pointless/no benefit' level, yet recoil at prescribing test strips to highly-motivated people? 🙄

 

[Lilian]

Many years ago when statins were quite new I was at a party at the late Barry Groves' house (a well known proponent of low carb eating when it was not fashionable), and he said to me "mark my words in 20 years or so everyone will be put on statins. The pharmaceutical companies have spent so much on developing it and getting it licensed they will want to get their money back". I should imagine they have got their money back several times over by now.

 

[mikeyB]

I was going to make the same point, Lillian. I'm sure it's the drug companies giving kickbacks to the doctors who presented evidence to the NICE committee that's got this idea through. It's medical insanity, I can't understand why this hasn't been stamped on. These are potent drugs - is this a plan to knock off all the pensioners to save money?

 

[Vicsetter]

The pharmaceutical companies have spent so much on developing it and getting it licensed they will want to get their money back". I should imagine they have got their money back several times over by now.

I would think the drug companies that initially produced statins have long since reaped the rewards. It must be out of copyright (or whatever) now as so many companies make them and the cost to the NHS is about £1 per packet of 28 (according to BNF). So not quite in the same league as test strips (£10 for 50, not quite the price we can get them!!).