New Risk Calculator for Cardiovascular Disease Could Leave Millions Ineligible for Medication

The researchers predict an additional 107,000 heart attacks and strokes over the next 10 years.

Statins, hailed as a wonder drug upon their introduction 35 years ago, have revealed a long list of unexpected side effects as the decades have passed.roger ashford/Shutterstock

A new calculator for assessing cardiovascular risks like heart attack and stroke may make nearly 16 million people ineligible for blood pressure and cholesterol medications.

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the risk calculator is better calibrated and more precise than previous versions, but if current treatment guidelines for cholesterol and blood pressure therapy don’t change with it, the calculator could have unintended consequences, according to research from Harvard Medical School.