NHFA Advises 'Keep taking cholesterol medication'

The National Heart Foundation of Australia is urging people not to change their medication or ignore their cholesterol levels following ABC media reports questioning the benefits of statins in the treatment of heart disease. The call comes after the recent ABC Catalyst program questioned whether cholesterol is an important risk factor for heart disease and suggested the benefits of statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) were overstated.

The Heart Foundation's National CEO Dr Lyn Roberts said the program has caused confusion in the community and she was worried it may be putting lives at risk.

"We know patients are already contacting their GPs and health professionals anxious about their heart health on the basis of the program. The Heart Foundation and the wider medical community are concerned that people may have been misled and might stop taking their statins without consulting their doctor," Dr Roberts said.

"The conclusions presented in the ABC Catalyst program are not supported by the Heart Foundation or the vast majority of the medical and scientific communities^[1] across the country and internationally.

"High cholesterol remains a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease and having multiple risk factors places you at higher risk." Dr Roberts said.

One in three Australians adults, or 5.6 million have high cholesterol - a risk factor for Australia's number one killer of men and women.^[2]

For more information please go to www.heartfoundation.org.au or click here to see the full Media Release.

[1] The World Health Organisation, American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, British Heart Foundation, National Collaborating Centre for Primary Care and Royal College of General Practitioners, United Kingdom, European Society of Cardiology, New Zealand Heart Foundation
[2] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Health Survey 2011/12.