Are Statins Right for You?

摘要

Ask any three otherwise healthy cardiologists whether they are taking a cholesterol-lowering drug, and chances are good that at least two of them will reply with a hearty "You bet." Their prescription of choic,e: one of a group of drugs called statins—marketed under such names as Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor—that have been proved to reduce deaths among heart-attack survivors by more than 40% over five years. In effect, the doctors are taking a highly educated gamble that the medications, currently taken by more than 10 million Americans, will be just as effective in those who do not necessarily fit the profile of a typical high-risk patient.