Doctors Told to Prescribe Statins

The National Council for Health and Clinical Excellence has told doctors to prescribe statins to patients with a 20 per cent risk of developing heart disease within 10 years. Statins are believed to save 7,000 lives a year, but of the five on the market, just one is available over the counter, and only at a low dose. Two million people are already taking statins in the UK but 3.3 million people may become eligible.