A recent study showed that type 2 diabetics who take statin medications, which are medications commonly used to lower cholesterol, had lower death rates, in addition to a lower number of heart attacks.

A report published by “Earth.com” stated that the results indicate that this drug may be beneficial even for people who are not considered among the groups most vulnerable to heart problems.

Across a decade of UK health records, the same pattern was repeated: People who started using statins had fewer severe heart attacks.

By comparing those who started statin therapy with those who did not, Eric Yuk-Fei Wan, Ph.D., of the University of Hong Kong, found a clear benefit across different risk levels.

Even in the lower-risk group, Wan saw a reduction in serious heart problems in those who started treatment.

This consistency highlights the importance of reconsidering the “low-risk” classification itself, which often determines who is offered a statin.

A low-risk assessment over 10 years may mask a long-term risk in people with type 2 diabetes, even if the coming years appear stable.

Most calculation tools focus on the likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke within the next 10 years, so younger patients are often classified as low risk.

Over the years, high blood sugar levels irritate the walls of blood vessels, making cholesterol more likely to stick to them, and increasing the risk of clots forming that impede blood flow.

Doctors often start prescribing statins before the first heart attack or stroke occurs, with the aim of preventing the problem before it occurs.

The report added that these drugs work to slow the production of cholesterol within the liver, forcing the body to withdraw more “LDL” cholesterol, the type that forms plaques inside the arteries.

Low levels reduce the chances of fatty deposits growing, which reduces the possibility of blockages and sudden clots.

After starting treatment, the benefit depends on continuing long enough for changes in cholesterol to have a noticeable effect.

Even among adults whose risk in 10 years is expected to be less than 10%, those who started taking statins had lower death rates.

Decreased mortality

After 10 years, deaths decreased by 0.53 percentage points, and heart attacks and major strokes decreased by 0.83 percentage points.

The relative changes showed the same pattern, with a reduction of approximately one-fifth in deaths and one-fifth in major cardiac events in those who started treatment.