Are You At Risk Of A Heart Attack?

I recently read an article from washingtonpost.com that discussed new findings from a study regarding a simple test to detect who are at risk for a heart attack and how to lower the risk. The study was presented by Paul M. Ridker of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who presented the findings yesterday at a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans. For your convenience, I have included some excerpts from that article below.

A highly anticipated study has produced powerful evidence that a simple blood test can spot seemingly healthy people who are at increased risk for a heart attack or stroke and that giving them a widely used drug offers potent protection against the nation's leading killers.

In findings that could transform efforts to prevent cardiovascular disease, the study of nearly 18,000 volunteers flagged by the test in 26 countries found that a cholesterol-lowering statin slashed the risk by about half -- even if their cholesterol was normal.

The traditional model for how heart attacks and strokes occur is that high cholesterol causes fatty buildups to slowly accumulate inside arteries supplying blood to the heart and brain. But about half of all heart attacks and strokes occur in people whose cholesterol is normal. That has raised questions about what other factors may be involved and how more deaths could be prevented.

Evidence has been building that inflammation, part of the body's defense against infection and injuries, may play a crucial role by causing the most vulnerable plaques inside arteries to rupture, triggering blood clots that finally block blood flow. The blood test, known as the high sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) test, detects inflammation by measuring a substance in the blood called C-reactive protein. But it has remained far from clear how important or useful that information was.

In 2003, Ridker and his colleagues started prescribing either 20 milligrams of the statin Crestor or an inert placebo daily to 17,802 middle-age and elderly men and women who had what are considered safe cholesterol levels but high CRP: 2 milligrams per liter of blood or above.

Compared with those getting the placebo, those taking Crestor were 54 percent less likely to have a heart attack, 48 percent less likely to have a stroke, 46 percent less likely to need angioplasty or bypass surgery to open a clogged artery, 44 percent less likely to suffer any of those events and 20 percent less likely to die from any cause, the researchers reported yesterday.

I think this is a great study that presents a new and simpler way to detect whether you are at risk of a heart attack rather than traditionally rely on your cholesterol level. The study also proves that the subscribed satin drug helps reduce the risk. While agreeing that these are useful findings, I would only consider medication as my last resort. Here are my reasons:

1. All drugs have their side effects. Common side effects of statin include rising blood pressure, liver damage, and potential risk in cancers. No studies have been done to follow up over a long period of time on the patients who are subscribed to the use of statin drugs. I am sure that studies of this sort would have hard time in attracting sponsors (normally pharmaceutical companies) or securing necessary funds. If you are at middle-age, think about how much statin would end up being consumed by your body over next few decades.
2. Alternatives are available. Although statin drugs are proven effective in reducing cholesterol and inflammation levels, risks of a heart attack can be reduced in more natural ways, such as, with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle. After all, that is exactly what Fishtarian is about - eat healthy and live healthy. There are many live examples among your colleagues or friends including me who will be glad to share with you how we have done it.

I am not suggesting that you ignore the new findings or advice from your doctor. I am simply telling you there are other choices without medication.