Nearly two-thirds of people who are taking medication to reduce the risk of them getting a heart attack have no history of heart disease, a new Irish study has found. The study found nearly two-thirds of people were taking statins, which are cholesterol-lowering medication, as a preventative measure. The national study of 5,618 people aged over 50 between 2009 and 2011 found about one-third of Irish adults of this age group were taking statins. Nearly three-quarters of women who were taking statins did not have a medical history of cardiovascular disease, and were taking the medication for primarily preventive reasons. The number of men taking statins for “primary prevention” was lower, at 57 per cent.

Source: The Irish Times February 15, 2018 17:15 UTC