Q. I recently had a cholesterol test and it showed a reading of seven, which my GP considered to be within acceptable limits. I questioned this, saying that I thought anything over five was considered high. I am 63, slightly overweight, have normal blood pressure and stopped smoking 11 years ago. But my father suffered a series of strokes, so I am concerned. Is my doctor right?
A. A decade or two ago, if you had a high cholesterol level you were given a statin and that was that. Now, with the benefit of countless studies looking at all the risk factors and treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease, the decision to issue statins and other drugs is far more complicated.
The aim of treating cholesterol is to prevent a stroke or a heart attack in someone who has not had one before. This is now all based on risk calculators, with the preferred one being the QRISK2 calculator.
Read more
No comments:
Post a Comment