An Apple a Day Could Help Keep Heart Disease at Bay
Lee Swanson Research Update
We all know the old saying about "an apple a day," now new research indicates it may just be true. In a study published in the special Christmas edition of BMJ, researchers compared the estimated population-wide effects of statin drug treatment on vascular disease with those of an apple per day in people over age 50. Statin effect estimates were derived from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ meta-analysis. The effects of an apple per day on the entire UK population were estimated using a widely published comparative risk assessment model.
Assuming a 70% compliance rate, prescribing statins to 22.8 million people in the UK over age 50 would result in an estimated 9,400 fewer vascular deaths annually, compared with 8,500 fewer annual vascular deaths for an apple per day. The estimated side-effects arising from such widespread statin use include 1,200 excess cases of myopathy, 200 cases of rhabdomyolysis and 12,300 cases of diabetes. The study authors concluded that, comparing statin treatment to an apple a day, “a 150 year old health promotion message is able to match modern medicine and is likely to have fewer side effects.”
Briggs ADM, Mizdrak A, Scarborough P. A statin a day keeps the doctor away: comparative proverb assessment modeling study. BMJ 2013; 347:f7267. doi: http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f7267
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