CDC's Annual Report Released Today

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention [CDC] published their 34th annual report today. An article in Modern Medicine summarized the findings. The report showed that 25% of all deaths in 2007 were due to Heart Disease.
One of the highlighted findings of the report was that there has been a greater than 12-fold increase in adult use of statins to lower cholesterol between the period from 1988-1994 and 2005-2008. Between 2005 and 2007, one half of all men between the ages of 65 and 74 had taken a statin.

What are statins and how do they work? Statins act to inhibit cholesterol synthesis in liver cells by binding HMG CoA reductase, an enzyme that acts early in the pathway that would convert Acetyl Co enzyme A into cholesterol. Physicians prescribe statins for patients with elevated cholesterol levels, since excess cholesterol can lead to an inflammatory response, plaque build up in blood vessels, heart attacks and/or ischemic events.

To see the full CDC health report, follow this link.