Science Daily reports that older adults who consume apples on a daily basis may have a lower risk of developing a heart attack and other cardiovascular conditions.

Using mathematical models, researchers from the University of Oxford compared the effects of taking daily statin medication, drugs that help lower cholesterol and treat cardiovascular diseases, with those having an apple a day among people ages 50 and above in the UK.

Assuming that there was a compliance rate of 70 percent, they found that offering statin to 17.6 million adults who were not on the medication could reduce the number of vascular deaths by 9,400, while offering an apple a day to 70 percent of older adults in the UK (approximately 22 million people) could prevent 8,500 deaths.

This doesn't mean, however, that high-risk individuals should stop taking statins. Rather, researchers believe that combining medication with small dietary changes may be more effective in fighting heart disease and stroke.

(Photo by Liz West via Flickr Creative Commons)