A significant reduction in mortality from heart disease is associated with a healthy lifestyle, not the intake of statins. That is the conclusion drawn by the researchers from the University of Liverpool, who created a mathematical model that takes into account the influence of all factors.
During the period from 2000 to 2007, the number of deaths from cardiovascular heart diseases in England and Wales has declined by 38 thousand people a year. Many experts suggest that this reduction is due to wider use of statins – the drugs that are intended for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This medication reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood.
However, the scientists from the University of Liverpool have found that the role of statins is too exaggerated in this case; mortality rate associated with cardiovascular diseases has reduced primarily due to the reduction in the number of smoking people and the improved diet the residents of England and Wales have. So, reduction in mortality rate is influenced by healthy lifestyle rather than by taking medications.
The researchers have obtained this conclusion, when they created a mathematical model evaluating the role of drugs in reducing mortality. In general, mortality from cardiovascular diseases during this period has decreased by 38 thousand people a year. Many lives were also saved due to the development of medical emergency technologies and other factors, the role of which has not been clarified yet. But 20,400 lives have been saved as a result of reducing blood pressure and the levels of “bad” cholesterol. However, the researchers concluded that only 5,300 lives had been saved due to statins. Thus, the vast majority of people have saved their lives simply by switching to a healthy lifestyle.
