Mark Hlatky, a professor of health and research policy and cardiovascular medicine and the author of a study published yesterday in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Following from the results of the JUPITER trials involving Crestor or Rosuvastatin 2 years ago, his study sought to uncover the most cost effective way of administering statins to everyone, low and high risk, in order to decrease the risk of potentially fatal illnesses.
The JUPITER study of 2008 proved that millions of people could benefit from the use of statins. The study showed that even those with low levels of LDL cholesterol could benefit from the treatment in order to decrease their risk of developing cardiovascular related illnesses.
The JUPITER study included participants who had low cholesterol levels but high levels of CRP (C-reactive protein levels). Higher levels of CRP suggest inflammation in the body and signal the risk of stroke and heart attack. The JUPITER study showed us that measuring levels of CRP could help us identify people who would benefit from statin therapy in order to decrease their risk of suffering serious cardiovascular conditions.
Implementation however, in a time where the NHS is spending millions on prescription drugs, may take some time. We need to know just how cost effective the idea is and therefore how realistic.
The conclusion the researchers came to showed that prescribing patients with statins in order to decrease levels of risk despite not having knowledge of their CRP levels was deemed the most cost- effective strategy. The study requires further research into the treating of lower risk individuals who do not necessarily need statins and preparations for research on this possible breakthrough method of prescribing are in place.