The guidelines for treating hypercholesterolemia are conservative. Because the figure seems excessive to the medical community, treatment targets are elevated to pinpoint only individuals who are at high risk. This does not mean, however, that people with lower cholesterol would not benefit from statin treatment.
More research is needed to help accurately define guidelines for statin therapy.
And a new study shows that patients who should not be treated with statins are being prescribed the medication. Furthermore, doctors are failing to consistently monitor patients for the drugs' potentially dangerous side effects. Risks include smoking, hypertension, diabetes, or a family history of early heart disease.