A study published in the journal Open Heart suggests that more heart disease patients than suspected could benefit, or at least could perceive benefit, from primary prevention therapy, as reported by Medscape.
Lead study author Judith A. Finegold, MD, of the National Heart and Lung Institute in London, United Kingdom, surveyed nearly 400 participants and sought to calculate "mean lifespan gain" from a cardiovascular mortality-reducing intervention, in this case a statin, using data from U.K. records.
Here are five points:
1. The average lifespan gain was 7.4 months post-intervention for 50-year-old male nonsmokers with an average cardiovascular risk.
2. Individual data showed 93 percent had no gain at all, whereas 7 percent had a 99-month mean gain.
3. In the survey, 33 percent said they'd prefer a 2 percent chance of being part of a "large gains" minority instead of accepting a certainty of smaller gains.
4. Other findings showed that the number of individuals who benefit was greater in those with a higher versus lower level of cardiovascular disease risk. However, the amount of lifespan gain was similar between the groups.
5. In addition, a greater lifespan increase was found in those who started a primary prevention intervention at an early versus later age.
