Many at High Heart Risk Don't Get Enough Drugs

According to Dr. Gregg Fonarow, cardiologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, people hospitalized for heart attacks often aren't getting the intensive cholesterol-lowering statin drugs that could both lower their chances of getting another heart attack and save their lives.

The National Cholesterol Guidelines recommends an intensive lipid-lowering therapy that uses high doses of certain statins both at the medical facility and upon discharge.

The problem is that:

Many doctors think that lower dosage is better (a conservative wait and see policy);

Some physicians don't understand the recommendations;

Some medical personnel think that the guidelines don't apply to their patients, especially if those patients are older;

It takes time for doctors to accept and adopt new guidelines.