Many diabetics should be taking cholesterol-lowering statins, and yet many of the patients are never prescribed this medication, although it could greatly help their condition. Numerous previous studies have pointed out that diabetics benefit from taking statins as the medication lowers their risk of heart disease and stroke.
The analysis of data from 204 cardiology practices unveiled that at least 38 percent of diabetics are never prescribed statins.
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The American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association all recommend that anyone over the age of 40 with diabetes be prescribed statins.
Not only did the researchers find that so many diabetics are not being prescribed statins, but that prescriptions are randomly assigned. The researchers found a 57 percent variation in statin-prescribing practices, even after taking into account a person’s risk factors. For example, if you look at two patients who are identical but are seeing different cardiologists, there is a 57 percent chance that one of them will be prescribed statins over the other.
Although the study findings suggest there are not enough diabetics receiving life-saving statins, it did reveal that more diabetics today are receiving statins than before. This upward trend shows that more lives may be saved and that these individuals will have a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.
Mohan Garikiparithi got his degree in medicine from Osmania University (University of Health Sciences). He practiced clinical medicine for over a decade before he shifted his focus to the field of health communications. During his active practice he served as the head of the Dept. of Microbiology in a diagnostic centre in India. On a three-year communications program in Germany, Mohan developed a keen interest in German Medicine (Homoeopathy), and other alternative systems of medicine. He now advocates treating different medical conditions without the use of traditional drugs. An ardent squash player, Mohan believes in the importance of fitness and wellness.
