A new study reveals diabetics can cut their risk for heart attacks in half, simply by taking medications designed to prevent them.
Type 2 diabetics with no prior history of heart disease were able to reduce their risk for heart attacks by 61% and death from heart-related causes by 41%.
Over the past 20 years, the use of cholesterol-lowering medications among diabetes patients increased more than 10-fold.
Aspirin use increased by 50% and the use of blood pressure-lowering medications rose by up to four times.
UPI reports that historically, having Type 2 diabetes doubled a person's likelihood of having a heart attack compared to those without the disease.
However, UPI reports the risk reductions likely coincide with the increased focus on heart health in recent years.