Originally Posted by
Biker395
Statins have been widely prescribed to people with even marginal cholesterol numbers. But my doc has always been of the opinion to avoid any drugs (statins included) unless demonstrably necessary. I've recently read some things about statins that make it clear they are not without their negative side effects.
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I like your doc better than OP's doc.
This is not my area of practice - I'm a baby catcher - but there is a lot of emerging evidence about "diagnostic creep" - the dangers of treating patients who have borderline or mild conditions. Of course, lifestyle changes, exercise, weight loss, healthy diet, etc., are always great for anyone. But throwing medications at marginal cases can expose patients to side effects with no real benefit.
Mind you I am not saying nobody needs cholesterol meds - but one problem with research evidence is that people who only barely qualify for the condition and/or have no additional risk factors may be lumped together with people who have additional risk factors and/or advanced disease. The really sick people get a huge benefit, which skews the results so that the benefits are over-stated and the risks are under-stated.
A better approach is individualized risk assessment. There is good data out there that takes all the relevant predictors into account, but no clinician can keep all that in their heads all the time.
Here's an online tool for individualized risk assessment that takes multiple factors into account.
ACC/AHA ASCVD Risk Calculator
Some patients/providers think it's a bad sign if your doctor pulls up a website for reference during a visit. That needs a re-think. It's a good sign of someone who knows their limitations.