05.02.2016 - By Kendall Britt, MD and Amy Rogers, MD
Because individuals with high cholesterol levels often develop
heart disease, we've come to accept that high cholesterol -
especially "bad" cholesterol, or LDL - causes heart disease.
But it can't be said often enough that correlation does not
equal causation, and it is beginning to look more and more like a
causal realtionship between cholesterol and heart disease just
isn't there.
In this episode we talk about the status of treating cholesterol
to prevent heart disease and about a drug trial that punctuates the
whole process with a giant question mark.
Take a listen and see what you think.
Resources:
Number Needed to Treat with Statins for Primary Prevention
Number Needed to Treat with Statins for Secondary
Prevention
Evacitrapib Study Stopped Because of Clinical Futility
American Heart Association Guidelines for Prevention with
Statins