Geo Health

Life-saving prescriptions lagging in heart patients

NEW YORK: More than one in five people with heart disease aren't getting life-saving statin drugs despite guidelines saying they should, a new study shows. Researchers looked at nearly 39,000 people who had experienced a heart attack or undergone heart surgery, and found about 8,600 people weren't prescribed the cholesterol-lowering medications. Although there is still controversy over whether people should take statins to prevent heart attacks, research clearly shows the drugs benefit people who have already suffered a heart attack or a stroke. (Reuters)