Decline in heart deaths attributed to improved lifestyle and not due to statins

#heartdisease #statins #smokinghabit #transfat #dietarychanges Those who suffer from heart diseases can now celebrate because England has seen a drop in the number of deaths related to heart diseases. A study has revealed that more than 20,000 lives have been saved in the last seven years – this is attributed to changes in diet and lifestyle and not drugs.
It has been possible because of reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol and only a minority were tied to the use of drugs such as statins. It has been revealed that more than two-thirds were the result of reduction in smoking rates and dietary changes like going in for consuming of less trans fats.
In order to carry out the study, researchers had made use of a mathematical model to assess the role of medication in the huge decline in deaths from 2000 to 2007. The study brought forth the facts that deaths from coronary heart disease fell by 38,000 in that time. Of course, many lives would have been saved by advances in emergency treatment, or by other factors that have not yet been fully explained.
But - 20,400 deaths were prevented as a direct result of reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol. Moreover, just 5,300 of those were linked to the use of statins, the study found.
The study was carried out by Dr Martin O’Flaherty and colleagues at Liverpool University and they made use of trial data, national surveys, and official statistics to calculate how many deaths were prevented and why. A Dr O’Flaherty has said - statins were not as effective as they were claimed to be . . . rather, curbs on salt and trans fats in processed and takeaway foods, as well as changing smoking habit gave better results compared to pills.