Older Patients May Benefit From High-Dose Statin Therapy

Statins are an important class of medications that are very helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not taking high doses of statins may also be helpful in preventing another heart attack or stroke in individuals that already suffer from heart disease. It is a known fact that once you suffer from a heart attack, stroke, or some other cardiovascular event, your chances of suffering from another one increase. Recently, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine states that high-dose atorvastatin (Lipitor) may reduce the likelihood of suffering from a heart attack or stroke in older patients who already have heart disease. Although more studies would be needed, this could mean another use for statins besides their ability to lower cholesterol.