Statins of little benefit in those with high HDL

[Guest guest]

Statins of little benefit in those with high HDL

2005-11-08

http://www.drsears.com/healthnewsdetailopen.member?healthNewsID=3407

 

ARTICLE:

Last Updated: 2005-11-08 12:15:00 -0400 (Reuters Health)

 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Findings from a new study suggest that

doctors should use " good " (HDL) cholesterol levels to determine

which elderly patients are most likely to benefit from statin

therapy.

 

According to the study, statin therapy is probably indicated if the

HDL level falls below 45 mg/dL or if the ratio between " bad " (LDL)

cholesterol and HDL is greater than 3.3.

 

In a nutshell, the results suggest that with higher HDL levels,

little benefit is achieved with statin therapy.

 

" This was quite a surprise, " lead author Dr. Christopher J. Packard

from the University of Glasgow in the UK admitted in a

statement. " We did not expect the benefits of statin therapy to vary

according to starting HDL level. Also, unlike statin studies in

younger persons, LDL was not what mattered. "

 

According to a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart

Association, Packard and colleagues assessed the ability of LDL and

HDL to predict the combined endpoint of heart disease death,

nonfatal heart attack, and stroke in some 5,800 subjects between 70

and 82 years of age.

 

Subjects with an HDL level of less than 45 mg/dL experienced a 33

percent reduction in risk of heart disease death, nonfatal heart

attack and stroke when treated with pravastatin. By contrast,

subjects with higher HDL levels derived no benefit from the drug.

 

Baseline LDL was not predictive of the combined endpoint in patients

randomized to placebo or in those given pravastatin.

 

" If statin therapy could be targeted to at-risk elderly with low HDL

levels who would benefit most, fewer people would have to be

treated -- a substantial time and cost savings, " Packard emphasized.

 

SOURCE: Circulation November 15, 2005.

 

Copyright ) 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication

or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or

similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written

consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or

delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and

trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.

 

 

DR. SEARS' COMMENTS:

 

After age 70, high cholesterol levels no longer correlate with heart

attacks. This study confirms that LDL cholesterol levels are not

predictive of cardiac endpoints, whereas HDL levels are.