Seniors are often concerned with heart health. Since so many seniors are affected with heart disease, many are looking for new ways to reduce the risks. Statin doses, which are in cholesterol medications, can effectively reduce risks. In addition, an increased dose can also help prevent other heart issues, including heart attack and stroke. The list below contains some important information for seniors about statin and heart health.
1. Increased doses of Lipitor or other cholesterol lowering medications has been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart related health problems.
2. In combination with medication, lowering bad cholesterol can reduce the chances of heart disease.
3. Seniors who have coronary heart disease should try to get their bad cholesterol levels below 100mg per each deciliter of blood.
4. High doses of statin has been shown to lower cholesterol levels to 70.
5. In addition to reducing the chances of developing heart disease, seniors can also reduce the likelihood of stroke and heart attack.
6. Regardless of the current heart condition, lowering bad cholesterol can have many health benefits for seniors, including lower blood pressure, lower mortality rates and the reduction of risks of coronary heart disease.
7. Seniors who are currently taking medication to lower their cholesterol should speak to a doctor regarding the possible benefits of increasing the dosage.
If you are a caregiver, or know anyone with a heart condition, you could benefit from watching the following clip, which features a modified form of CPR called CCR that is easier to learn, easier to do and can save even more lives!
Cholesterol Drugs Beneficial in Older Stroke Patients
Taking a cholesterol lowering drug after a stroke or mini-stroke reduces an older person’s risk of another stroke as much as it does in younger patients, according to an American Academy of Neurology news release .
“Even though the majority of strokes and heart attacks occur in people who are 65 and older, studies have found that cholesterol-lowering drugs are not prescribed as often for older people as they are for younger people,” said study author Seemant Chaturvedi, M.D., of Wayne State University in Detroit and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. “These results show that using these drugs is just as beneficial for people who are over 65 as they are for younger people.”
The study involved 4,731 people age 18 and older who had a recent stroke or mini-stroke. The 2,249 people age 65 and older were in one group, and the 2,482 people under age 65 made up the other group. About half of each group received the cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin and about half received a placebo. The participants were then followed for an average of four and a half years.
Levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were reduced by an average of 61 points in the elderly group and by 59 points in the younger group. Stroke risks were reduced by 26 percent in the younger group and by 10 percent in the older group, the study found.
Estimates show about 20 percent of the U.S. population will be 65 and older by 2010, so it’s important to identify ways to reduce the burden of strokes in this group, Chaturvedi said.
Seniors are often concerned with heart health. Since so many seniors are affected with heart disease, many are looking for new ways to reduce the risks. Statin doses, which are in cholesterol medications, can effectively reduce risks. In addition, an increased dose can also help prevent other heart issues, including heart attack and stroke. The list below contains some important information for seniors about statin and heart health.