It is very obvious to see patients at high risk of getting heart attacks or strokes being prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. But, researchers from the University of Sydney are affirming that the same should be suggested to those at low risk of such events, a recent report has uncovered.

The recommendations are based on the evidence that patients even at less than 10% risks of a stroke or heart attack within coming five years were found to be benefitted with the drugs. And the same confirmation has been made by some 27 studies examined by the team.

It has been found that the drugs resulted in reduction of the number of deaths by 15% occurring due to cardiovascular diseases. And despite the effect being the same in high-risk as well as low-risk patients, patients of the latter group were not being prescribed statins.

Thus, noticing that exercising and dieting were failing to give the patients any advantage in terms of lowering cholesterol levels, change in clinical guidelines is being urged. Also, male patients above 50 years in age with women of age more than 60 years should be given statins.

''While there is no substitute for lifestyle modification, the capacity for statin pharmacotherapy to assist in the treatment of individuals at lower risk has now been shown", the team said.