Do Statins Work Equally for Men and Women?
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1973295-1,00.html
Over 24 million people are using drugs to combat their cholesterol in the U.S. Statins, such as Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor, are designed to clear away LDL cholesterol, waxy plaque buildup which clogs the arteries and can ultimately lead to heart attacks and strokes. Many people who take statins do not have heart disease and take the drug as primary prevention.
Roughly 12 million American women are routinely prescribed statins, despite their serious side effects and lack of evidence to prove that they prevent heart disease in women. Statins have negative side effects such as starving the onset of heart disease in healthy at-risk adults. Many of the life-saving benefits statins provide to men do not cross the gender barrier in helping women. Women are also more likely to suffer from the serious side effects of taking statins, such as memory loss, muscle pain, and diabetes. In women who already have heart disease, statins reduce heart-related deaths but do not reduce the overall deaths.
In the 1990s, women were not involved in drug trials to protect pregnancy and avoiding affecting hormone fluctuations. Since then, there have been many studies concerning how different disease may affect women in very different ways from men.
There was a trial called the Jupiter Trial. The goal of the study was the compare the effectiveness of Crestor in healthy patient. The study showed that women who took 20 mg of Crestor daily for an average of 1.9 years have a 46% reduction in cardiovascular events. This result is simlar to the 42% reduction in men. Other researchers argue that the evidence is cloudy and that the benefits in women are much less extreme than in men. An example of this is that women are more likely to develop diabetes from taking statins and that 1.9 years is not a long enough time to show all of the side effects.
One theory why statins do not show equal benefits for men as women is that since women have a lower risk of heart disease, it is more difficult to lower an already low risk. Lower body weight and hormonal fluctuations might also play a role. However, many researchers also argue that the benefits should outweight the risks.
- Sarah Biemer
Over 24 million people are using drugs to combat their cholesterol in the U.S. Statins, such as Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor, are designed to clear away LDL cholesterol, waxy plaque buildup which clogs the arteries and can ultimately lead to heart attacks and strokes. Many people who take statins do not have heart disease and take the drug as primary prevention.
Roughly 12 million American women are routinely prescribed statins, despite their serious side effects and lack of evidence to prove that they prevent heart disease in women. Statins have negative side effects such as starving the onset of heart disease in healthy at-risk adults. Many of the life-saving benefits statins provide to men do not cross the gender barrier in helping women. Women are also more likely to suffer from the serious side effects of taking statins, such as memory loss, muscle pain, and diabetes. In women who already have heart disease, statins reduce heart-related deaths but do not reduce the overall deaths.
In the 1990s, women were not involved in drug trials to protect pregnancy and avoiding affecting hormone fluctuations. Since then, there have been many studies concerning how different disease may affect women in very different ways from men.
There was a trial called the Jupiter Trial. The goal of the study was the compare the effectiveness of Crestor in healthy patient. The study showed that women who took 20 mg of Crestor daily for an average of 1.9 years have a 46% reduction in cardiovascular events. This result is simlar to the 42% reduction in men. Other researchers argue that the evidence is cloudy and that the benefits in women are much less extreme than in men. An example of this is that women are more likely to develop diabetes from taking statins and that 1.9 years is not a long enough time to show all of the side effects.
One theory why statins do not show equal benefits for men as women is that since women have a lower risk of heart disease, it is more difficult to lower an already low risk. Lower body weight and hormonal fluctuations might also play a role. However, many researchers also argue that the benefits should outweight the risks.
- Sarah Biemer
posted by Sarah Biemer at 12:36 PM
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