An apple a day may reduce mortality from heart attacks and strokes among older people –this is the conclusion made by British scientists.

Scientists from Oxford University estimated that statins - drugs to lower cholesterol levels are taken by 5.2 million people in the UK. Another 17.6 million people could receive such drugs if they were proposed at the national level as a means of prevention for people over 50 years. The authors have developed a mathematical model and calculated that a daily intake of statins in the second group of the population could reduce the number of deaths due to heart attacks and strokes by 9.4 thousand cases a year.The addition to the diet of an apple a day can prevent 8,500 vascular deaths in the UKin people over 50. The research was published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The researchers warn that none of the patients already taking statins should replace them with apples. However, those who want to do the prevention of cardiovascular disease without drugs, just need to add more fruits into their diet.