The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance to the NHS in England and Wales on the use of statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults and for the treatment of adults with established CVD.
High levels of cholesterol and specifically the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) in the blood are known to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Statins help to lower the harmful LDL cholesterol levels by slowing down the production of cholesterol in the liver and increasing the liver’s ability to remove the LDL cholesterol already in the blood.
Professor David Barnett, chair of the Independent Appraisal Committee that developed the guidance, said: “We estimate that around 3.3 million people will become eligible for statin therapy as a result of these recommendations, which offer clear guidance about which patients should be started on treatment with a statin and how doctors should go about it. But the guidance also makes the important point that other strategies for managing CVD risk over and above the use of statins – such as stopping smoking and other lifestyle measures – should also be considered when initiating statin therapy.”
