[이데일리 이순용 기자] There are medications that are prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes. Statins are widely used for dyslipidemia and are oral agents that lower the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular diseases.
Since type 2 diabetes is often accompanied by dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes patients have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than normal people, domestic and foreign medical guidelines recommend that type 2 diabetes patients take statins, a treatment for dyslipidemia, for life.
However, there were considerable concerns as some patients arbitrarily stopped taking the drug, but there was insufficient evidence to emphasize the importance of continuous use of statins. However, in a recent study by Professor Nam-Hoon Kim of the Department of Endocrinology at Korea University Anam Hospital, the importance of continuous statin intake was identified.
Recently, Professor Nam-Hoon Kim’s team (Professor Nam-Hoon Kim, Professor Ji-Yun Kim, Professor Shin-Kon Kim, and Dr. Ji-Mi Choi) of the Department of Endocrinology at Korea University Anam Hospital confirmed that the longer the period of taking statins, the lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
As a result of a study conducted on 8,937 type 2 diabetes patients enrolled in the National Health Insurance Corporation health screening cohort, significant cardiovascular events occurred in patients who took statins for at least 18 months compared to patients who took statins for 3 to 6 months. (ischemic heart disease, ischemic cerebral infarction, and cardiovascular death) was found to occur less than 30%. In addition, when statin strength, LDL cholesterol concentration following treatment, and duration of statin administration were compared, it was found that the duration of statin administration had the greatest effect on major cardiovascular events compared to other factors.
Professor Nam-Hoon Kim explained, “During treatment, you can see many patients who have stopped taking statins, and this study is significant in that it reveals the importance of taking statins continuously.”
Professor Jiyoon Kim explained, “When prescribing statins, both doctors and patients need to keep in mind the concept of ‘the lower the LDL cholesterol is, the better’ and ‘the longer the statin is taken, the better'”.
This study was published in the internationally renowned academic journal ‘Cardiovascular Diabetology’.
ㅤ