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Half a
million at-risk Scots are to receive potentially life-saving heart drugs
under
new health guidelines.
Labour has been delivering on health for 10 years and
has ensured that for the first time, NHS funding has reached £10 billion.
More lives saved
under Labour
Local Labour MSP Allan
Wilson has welcomed news that up to half a million at-risk Scots are to
receive potentially life-saving heart drugs under new health guidelines.
New NHS guidance recommends regular risk assessments for all over-40s and
says that statin drugs to reduce cholesterol should be made available to
those with a 20% risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke and those
deemed ‘at-risk’ from the most deprived communities in Scotland. Previously
the drug
was only available to those with a 30% of CHD.
The Cunninghame North MSP said the life-saving drug would benefit up to half
a million Scots and help reduce the link between ill health and deprivation.
Allan Wilson MSP said:
“Labour has been delivering on health for 10 years and has ensured that for
the first time, NHS funding has reached £10 billion. We are making sure that
this investment is making a real difference.
“Now life-saving drugs will be rolled out even further and up to half a
million Scots will benefit. This means that families can stay together
longer and those living in deprived communities will have improved life
expectancy.”
Deaths from Coronary Heart Disease in the under 75s have been reduced by
43.8 per cent between 1995 and 2004.
Deaths from Stroke in the under 75s were reduced by 40 per cent between 1995
and 2004.
Notes:
New guidelines mean that anyone with a 20 per cent risk of CHD or a stroke
within 10 years will be offered life-saving drugs. This lowers the threshold
from the previous recommendation of treatment for those with a 30 per cent
risk of CHD alone.
The plans are to offer regular risk assessments for all over 40s and to
target those most at risk (those in deprived areas). It's expected that 50%
pf men and 20% of women could be given cholesterol lowering statins.
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