Mail-order prescriptions 'seen to cut cholesterol'

Mail-order prescriptions could potentially benefit heart patients, who may be using assisted living, a new study has indicated.

Research at Kaiser Permanente Northern California who obtained their new statin prescriptions by way of a mail-order pharmacy were seen to enjoy superior cholesterol control to those who collected their medication from a local pharmacy.

Some 85 per cent of people who used to mail-order system were seen to achieve target cholesterol levels, compared to 74.2 per cent of those who opted for the pharmacy, according to the report published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Investigator Julie Schmittdiel said: "Though mail order may not be right for all patients, this study shows that it is one possible tool in the broader health care system-level toolbox that can help patients meet their medication needs."

In other news, individuals with higher levels of abdominal and liver fat may be at an elevated risk of heart disease, according to a study published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology: Journal of the American Heart Association.

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