Then I guess after your discussions, your health care provider didn't recommend statin meds as you previously stated; or still did and you chose not to follow their advice. Your arguments must have been persuasive or your providers information poor; or both.
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A Win For Women
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Merz warns however, that the HSCRP blood test isn't a good idea for everyone. Women suffering from inflammation disorders (including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory-bowel disease and gum disease) won't benefit from it, since the results wouldn't pinpoint possible heart trouble. The same is true for a patient who took the test while suffering from a cold, virus, food poisoning or any transient inflammation, she said.
Women younger than 60 should not assume that what works for their older sisters will work as well for them, Merz adds. Without further research, she says, "We don't want these findings to trickle down to treatment of younger women. There is no data to support the idea that it's cost-effective to draw HSCRP levels and give statins to women of all ages. Right now, we have no idea if that would save more lives."
Women are also being encouraged to become active partners with their doctors in managing their statin use, which means making appointments for follow-up visits to monitor progress, and consulting with their doctors before deciding to stop using the drugs. (If you stop taking the drugs, the benefits evaporate.) If the initial dosage or choice of statins isn't working for you, it's important to work with your doctor to find one that does.
Side effects, particularly muscle pain, can be a problem, and they may be more common in women than men, says Goldberg. While there's limited formal research, Goldberg says it's clear that two of the most common traits associated with statins' side effects—having a petite frame and living past 80 years of age—occur in women more than men. The good news, she says, is that if one type of statin causes muscle pain, switching to another is likely to eliminate the problem.
Both doctors say they hope the results of the Jupiter study will encourage more doctors to identify women for whom statins would be a smart addition to a prevention program that includes a healthy diet and increased exercise. After all, every year, more women die of heart disease than all types of cancer combined. "Heart attacks and strokes are devastating to most people," says Goldberg. "We want women to do more to prevent them from happening."
© 2008
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