Study: Statins and blood pressure drugs close heart-risk gaps for obese adults over 40 but younger adults still show higher readings

GB News reported that cholesterol-lowering statins and blood pressure medications have enabled middle-aged and older adults living with obesity to achieve cardiovascular health markers virtually identical to those of healthy-weight individuals. The research, published in The Lancet, found that gaps in unhealthy cholesterol and blood pressure readings between obese and normal-weight people have narrowed or disappeared among those aged 40 and above.

In certain instances, individuals with obesity were actually better off than their healthy-weight counterparts on key measurements.

Researchers attributed the results primarily to the widespread prescription of these drugs, which are more frequently used by people carrying excess weight. The investigation drew on data from close to one million adults between the ages of 20 and 79. The data spanned seven nations: England, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Finland, and the United States.

Researchers analysed 110 health surveys conducted from 1990 to 2024, examining blood pressure readings, cholesterol measurements, and body mass index figures. " Reductions in harmful cholesterol and blood pressure were particularly pronounced among obese participants.

Adults below 40 with obesity continue to exhibit elevated levels of harmful cholesterol and raised blood pressure compared to their normal-weight peers.

Prof Bryan Williams, the chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation, described the research as "a powerful public health success story" demonstrating the remarkable effectiveness of modern cardiovascular treatments. He stated that these medications are needed because of the adverse effects of obesity on cardiovascular disease risk.