An estimated 21.5 million additional adults in the United States may now be eligible for statins under updated cholesterol treatment guidelines, according to a new study.
The researchers aimed to estimate how many adults in the US would be considered eligible for statin therapy under the new 2026 blood cholesterol guidelines issued by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and nine partnering medical societies, compared with the previous 2018 guidelines.
The analysis, published July 20 in the journal JAMA, found that the changes could bring the total number of Americans eligible for statins, medications that lower cholesterol, to about 87.5 million people, or more than half of adults ages 30 to 79.
What prompted this major expansion, and does being eligible mean that someone should immediately begin taking medication? To help us understand the study and what patients should discuss with their healthcare providers, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.
CNN: Who are the millions of Americans who are newly eligible for statins and why?
