{"id":592492,"date":"2026-08-13T23:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T23:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/592492\/"},"modified":"2026-08-13T23:36:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T23:36:10","slug":"21-5-million-more-americans-now-qualify-for-statins-are-you-one-of-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/592492\/","title":{"rendered":"21.5 Million More Americans Now Qualify for Statins. Are You One of Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Creative Images Lab\/Getty<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve likely heard all the buzz about cholesterol-lowering statins but perhaps haven\u2019t taken the plunge and talked to your doctor yet. Maybe fears of statin side effects<\/a> are holding you back (spoiler alert: Most are minor and resolve in time) or you simply don\u2019t know if you qualify. If the reason you haven\u2019t started taking one of these lifesaving drugs is the latter, a new JAMA analysis says more than 21 million more Americans now qualify for statins under the new 2026 cholesterol guidelines<\/a> released earlier this year\u2014and many may not even realize it. We spoke to top cardiologists about who these newly eligible Americans are and what you should know about whether statins are a good fit for you.<\/p>\n

What are statins?\u00a0<\/p>\n

Before we dive into the new JAMA<\/a> research<\/a> and why millions more now qualify for statins, let\u2019s get a refresher on what the drugs are. \u201cA statin is a type of medication used to lower \u2018bad\u2019 LDL cholesterol in the blood,\u201d explains Kardie Tobb, DO, MS, FASPC, FACC<\/a>, a board-certified preventive cardiologist and the medical director for the Cone Health HeartCare Women\u2019s Heart Health and Cardio-Obstetrics Clinic. \u201cIt works mainly by reducing the amount of cholesterol made by the liver. Statins can help prevent cholesterol buildup in the arteries and lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, especially in people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Is Cardiovascular Disease \u2014 Exactly? This Definition and Warning Signs Could Save Your Life<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you now qualify for statins?<\/p>\n

A new JAMA analysis examined what the updated 2026 cholesterol guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association mean for Americans. The analysis found that under the new guidelines, 21.5 million more U.S. adults now qualify for the medication, bringing the total number of adults who qualify to 87.5 million.<\/p>\n

What updates sparked this change? \u201cOne of the biggest changes is how we assess cardiovascular risk,\u201d explains Sirisha Vadali, MD<\/a>, a board-certified noninvasive cardiologist and advanced lipidologist. \u201cInstead of relying primarily on a cholesterol number or focusing solely on a person’s risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event over the next 10 years, the updated guidelines now allow us to look at a person’s overall and long-term cardiovascular risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Renato A. Apolito, MD<\/a>, a cardiologist and medical director of the cardiac catheterization laboratory at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, agrees that looking at a person\u2019s long-term cardiovascular risk is beneficial.\u00a0 \u201cBecause you can\u2019t make up for lost time, we should think about risk reduction and cholesterol reduction as if we\u2019re investing for retirement,\u201d says Dr. Apolito. \u201cThe longer you do this, the higher the dividends are down the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who qualifies for statins under the 2026 cholesterol guidelines?<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of these 21.5 million people are people we historically would have said,\u00a0\u2019Your 10-year risk isn’t high enough to worry about medication yet,\u2019\u201d says Dr. Tobb. \u201cThe new guidelines essentially say: \u2018Let’s not ignore what happens after those 10 years.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Tobb says the newly eligible group includes people with risk factors such as:<\/p>\n

Younger adults with a higher lifetime\/30-year cardiovascular risk<\/p>\n

Overweight or obesity and other cardiometabolic risk<\/p>\n

A significant premature heart disease family history\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elevated Lipoprotein(a) or Lp(a)<\/p>\n

Certain\u00a0inflammatory conditions<\/p>\n

Elevated triglycerides or apoB<\/a><\/p>\n

Certain\u00a0reproductive risk factors, like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia or early menopause<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guideline also specifically recommends lipid-lowering therapy for adults 40 and older with\u00a0diabetes, stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease or HIV, regardless of LDL level,\u201d adds Dr. Tobb. \u201cBut there’s another striking finding:\u00a0Age drives a very large portion of the expansion.\u00a0The JAMA analysis estimates that more than\u00a093 percent of adults ages 70 to 79\u00a0and\u00a085 percent of those ages 60 to 69\u00a0meet criteria for primary-prevention statin therapy under the new guideline, compared with only about\u00a011 percent of adults ages 30 to 39.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to tell if statins may be right for you<\/p>\n

If you fall into the categories above and qualify for statins \u201con paper,\u201d you may be wondering if that means you should take statins in practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cQualifying for a statin doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that every patient needs to start one,\u201d says Dr. Vadali. \u201cGuidelines help us identify people who may benefit from treatment, but the final decision should still be individualized. For a person whose risk falls into more of a gray area, we may look at additional information before making that decision. For example, a coronary artery calcium scan can show whether calcified plaque has already developed in the heart\u2019s arteries and can sometimes help determine how aggressive we need to be with prevention. The goal is not to put everyone on medication, but to identify cardiovascular risk early and choose the prevention strategy that makes the most sense for that individual patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are Cardiologists Against Statins? What Heart Doctors Really Think<\/a><\/p>\n

What to ask your doctor before taking statins\u00a0<\/p>\n

When having a conversation with your doctor about whether or not statins may be right for you based on the new cholesterol guidelines, Dr. Vadali recommends asking a few basic questions, including:<\/p>\n

What specifically about my health makes you recommend a statin?\u00a0<\/p>\n

What is my overall cardiovascular risk?\u00a0<\/p>\n

What benefit could I expect from taking statins?<\/p>\n

Are there any side effects or medication interactions I should know about?\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

How will we monitor whether the medication is working for me?<\/p>\n

\u201cI also think it’s important to ask what else you can do in addition to taking medication,\u201d adds Dr. Vadali. \u201cA statin should never replace the foundation of prevention, which includes regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and keeping blood pressure and blood sugar under control.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bottom line on statin eligibility\u00a0<\/p>\n

Millions of Americans find statins to be an extremely helpful part of supporting their cholesterol and overall heart health, and these new guidelines mean more Americans could have access to them. A quick conversation with your doctor can help you make the best decision for you. The best way to lower your cardiovascular risk or high cholesterol is to use all of the options available to support your health, whether that includes a statin, exercise, lifestyle changes or a combination of all of the above.<\/p>\n

Ready for more inspiration?Subscribe to our YouTube channel<\/a> for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Keep scrolling for more health stories!<\/p>\n

Is Repatha a Statin? Cardiologists Reveal Why the Cholesterol Drug May Cause Fewer Side Effects<\/a><\/p>\n

How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally With Minutes-A-Day Habits That Really Work<\/a><\/p>\n

Foods That Lower LDL Cholesterol 30 Percent in Four Weeks: The Expert Picks That Rival Statins<\/a><\/p>\n

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Creative Images Lab\/Getty You\u2019ve likely heard all the buzz about cholesterol-lowering statins but perhaps haven\u2019t taken the plunge…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":592493,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[103,61,60,371],"class_list":["post-592492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-medication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=592492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/592493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=592492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=592492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=592492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}