今までは悪玉コレステロール(LDL)の値だけで処方されていたLDL値を下げる薬(statin)、これからは4つの要素を鑑みて処方されることになる様子。これによってこの薬を処方される患者が倍増する可能性があるらしい。
If you're not on medicine to lower your cholesterol yet, you might be soon.
Not on cholesterol meds? New guidelines may change that - CNN.com
In what's being called a tectonic shift in the way doctors will treat high cholesterol, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology on Tuesday released new treatment guidelines calling for a focus on risk factors rather than just cholesterol levels.
The new guidelines could double the amount of people on medication to lower their cholesterol, experts say.
その4つの要素とは、
- Do you have heart disease?
- Do you have diabetes (Type 1 or 2)?
- Do you have a bad cholesterol level more than 190?
- Is your 10-year risk of a heart attack greater than 7.5%?
このどれか1つでも"yes"の場合、薬でLDLを抑えなければならない。最後のがなんだかよくわからないけれど、記事によれば、
So how do you and your doctor determine if your 10-year risk of a heart attack is above 7.5% and you should be put on a statin?
A simple calculation, said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, chairman of the committee that developed the equation.
"We were able to generate very robust risk equations for both non-Hispanic white men and women as well as African-American men and women," Lloyd-Jones said. "Those equations factor in age, sex, race, total and HDL ('good') cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, blood pressure treatment status as well as diabetes and current smoking status."
とっても簡単な計算でわかるらしいんだけれど、その計算式が（ヒスパニック系を除く）白人と黒人の男女が対象。
うーむアジア系はシカト？
