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This page/column contains information which may be of interest to consumers. The information is based on articles which appear in Australian Prescriber. As Australian Prescriber is written for health professionals, you should discuss any issues raised by this page/column with your doctor or pharmacist. They will be able to give a more detailed answer to your questions by reading the main article.

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Australian Prescriber Vol. 22 No. 5 1999

Assessing the statins

Many Australians have too much cholesterol in their blood. This can cause narrowing of the arteries which can lead to heart attacks. People with a high cholesterol are usually advised to reduce the amount of cholesterol they eat and exercise more.

If exercise and a diet do not lower the cholesterol, drug treatment may be needed, especially for people who have had a heart attack. Often a medicine called a statin is used. These statins reduce the amount of cholesterol made in the body. While all the statins lower the cholesterol, only two (simvastatin and pravastatin) definitely prevent heart attacks. The statins are better at preventing heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack in the past, than they are at preventing a first attack.