Las directrices fueron publicadas el pasado año por el Programa Nacional de Educación en Colesterol (NCEP), una división de los Institutos Nacionales de Salud (NIH) de Estados Unidos.
Subrayaban la necesidad de tratar farmacológicamente a pacientes con riesgo cardiovascular, de modo que los investigadores de Maryland escriben en el último número de "Circulation" que se espera triplicar el número de individuos menores de 45 años que toman este tipo de medicación. Asimismo, se estima que la cifra de norteamericanos mayores de esa edad candidatos a ser tratados con estos fármacos aumentará en un 130%.
Los autores del artículo subrayan que los hipolipemiantes han demostrado ser muy efectivos y tienen pocos efectos secundarios y que se tiene una década de experiencia en su empleo.
Las nuevas directrices establecían como pacientes candidatos a recibir medicación aquellos con niveles de colesterol LDL superiores a 130 mg/dl y que tuvieran otros dos factores de riesgo cardiovascular. Las recomendaciones anteriores, que databan de 1993, situaban la cifra en 160 mg/dl además de dos factores de riesgo.
Este cambio aumenta el número de estadounidenses candidatos a la terapia de 15 millones con las directrices de 1993 a 36 millones con las nuevas.
Webs Relacionadas
University of Maryland
http://www.umd.edu/
Circulation
http://circ.ahajournals.org/
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