I have been reluctant to take medicine to lower my cholesterol. Do the ALLHAT cholesterol study results support my decision to avoid ever taking medication to treat my high cholesterol?
No. The ALLHAT lipid-lowering study was designed to determine whether lowering cholesterol with a given medicine (pravastatin) was better than usual care (care determined by your doctor that may have included diet and/or medication) in reducing your risk of dying from any cause. The study results showed no significant differences between the approaches, in large part because the usual care group had a larger-than-expected reduction in cholesterol levels, and the difference between the cholesterol reduction in usual care and in the medication group was therefore small. ALLHAT did not disprove the results of other cholesterol lowering studies supporting cholesterol treatment. The ALLHAT results are consistent with current recommendations for controlling cholesterol in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. You should consult with your doctor about the most appropriate way for controlling your cholesterol.
Related Questions
- I have been reluctant to take medicine to lower my cholesterol. Do the ALLHAT cholesterol study results support my decision to avoid ever taking medication to treat my high cholesterol?
- My parents are reluctant to support my decision to Go Greek. How can I reassure them that I’m making a good choice?
- What can I take to lower my high cholesterol other than prescription medicine? How long before seeing results?
