Lead study author Judith A. Finegold, MD, of the National Heart and Lung Institute in London, United Kingdom, surveyed nearly 400 participants and sought to calculate “mean lifespan gain” from a cardiovascular mortality-reducing intervention, in this case a statin, using data from U.K. records.
Here are five points:
1. The average lifespan gain was 7.4 months post-intervention for 50-year-old male nonsmokers with an average cardiovascular risk.
2. Individual data showed 93 percent had no gain at all, whereas 7 percent had a 99-month mean gain.
3. In the survey, 33 percent said they’d prefer a 2 percent chance of being part of a “large gains” minority instead of accepting a certainty of smaller gains.
4. Other findings showed that the number of individuals who benefit was greater in those with a higher versus lower level of cardiovascular disease risk. However, the amount of lifespan gain was similar between the groups.
5. In addition, a greater lifespan increase was found in those who started a primary prevention intervention at an early versus later age.
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