In the context of the ongoing and increasingly sterile debate about the pros and cons of statins to lower cholesterol, it is refreshing to hear something new.
At a recent meeting in Quebec, researchers made the case that it might be more sensible to better identify individuals at heightened risk of heart attacks and strokes by using a more accurate screening test. Advice and interventions to reduce risks could then be more precisely targeted.
Hardening or furring of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, is due to the accumulation of calcium and cholesterol in plaques on artery walls. There are two broad categories of atherosclerotic plaques: stable and unstable (also known as vulnerable). Unstable plaques are more likely to rupture and cause a blood clot that blocks the supply of blood to the heart (triggering a heart attack) or the brain (triggering a stroke).
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