ESSENTIAL Naples
Health
SUMMER 2022
20
Is the Risk of Statin Medications
Greater than the Reward? By Dr. Melissa MacVenn, MD
W
hen I start talking with patients about optimizing their heart health, the conversation will often turn to statin medications, prescribed to fight artery-damaging cholesterol. It almost feels like assembling a jigsaw puzzle together—there are lots of unique pieces to consider, and finding the right place for them can take extra time and careful thought. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults across all genders and most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. That’s a good reason to focus a little more on statins—this powerful
yet controversial class of medications. There are several brands, each with subtle differences in action and side effects—Lipitor, Zocor, Pravachol, etc.—and tens of millions of people take them. I often counsel patients who have concerns that statin medications are overprescribed. Those concerns have some foundation.
Risks, Benefits, Evidence
A recent study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that half of those who take statins have too low a risk of cardiovascular
