Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were reduced in all trials but there was evidence of heterogeneity of effects .
There was no evidence of any serious harm caused by statin prescription .
Evidence available to date showed that primary prevention with statins is likely to be cost-effective and may improve patient quality of life .
Recent findings from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists study using individual patient data meta- analysis indicate that these benefits are similar in people at lower ( < 1 % per year ) risk of a major cardiovascular event .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Reductions in all-cause mortality , major vascular events and revascularisations were found with no excess of adverse events among people without evidence of CVD treated with statins
BACKGROUND Reducing high blood cholesterol , a risk factor for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) events in people with and without a past history of CVD is an important goal of pharmacotherapy .
Statins are the first-choice agents .
Previous review s of the effects of statins have highlighted their benefits in people with CVD .
The case for primary prevention was uncertain when the last version of this review was published ( 2011 ) and in light of new data an up date of this review is required .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects , both harms and benefits , of statins in people with no history of CVD .
Effects of probucol and pravastatin on common carotid atherosclerosis in patients with asymptomatic hypercholesterolemia. Fukuoka Atherosclerosis Trial (FAST).
OBJECTIVES This study investigated the effect of reducing serum lipids on carotid artery intima-media thickness ( IMT ) in asymptomatic patients with hypercholesterolemia from Fukuoka , Japan . BACKGROUND Carotid atherosclerosis is a strong , independent predictor of morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease ( CHD ) . METHODS A total of 246 asymptomatic hypercholesterolemic patients ( mean age 66 years ) were r and omized to receive either probucol ( 500 mg/day , n = 82 ) or pravastatin ( 10 mg/day , n = 83 ) or to enter a control group ( diet alone , n = 81 ) ; they were followed for two years . The change in IMT in the common carotid artery was the primary end point measure , and the incidence of major cardiovascular events was the secondary measure . RESULTS Over the two-year period , serum low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol was significantly reduced in the pravastatin group ( 36 % ) , the probucol group ( 29 % ) and the control group ( 12 % ) ( p < 0.0001 , p < 0.0001 and p < 0.05 , respectively ) . After two years , the probucol and pravastatin groups showed a significant reduction in IMT ( -13.9 % and -13.9 % and p < 0.01 and p < 0.01 , respectively ) , but there was significant IMT thickening ( 23.2 % ; p < 0.05 ) in the control group . Probucol reduced the rate of IMT increase , independently of its reduction of LDL or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol . Moreover , there was a significantly lower incidence of cardiac events in the probucol group ( 2.4 % ) than in the control group ( 13.6 % ) ( p = 0.0136 ) . CONCLUSIONS Probucol reduced cholesterol levels and stabilized plaque , leading to a lower incidence of cardiac events in these hypercholesterolemic patients
Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were reduced in all trials but there was evidence of heterogeneity of effects .
There was no evidence of any serious harm caused by statin prescription .
Evidence available to date showed that primary prevention with statins is likely to be cost-effective and may improve patient quality of life .
Recent findings from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists study using individual patient data meta- analysis indicate that these benefits are similar in people at lower ( < 1 % per year ) risk of a major cardiovascular event .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Reductions in all-cause mortality , major vascular events and revascularisations were found with no excess of adverse events among people without evidence of CVD treated with statins
BACKGROUND Reducing high blood cholesterol , a risk factor for cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) events in people with and without a past history of CVD is an important goal of pharmacotherapy .
Statins are the first-choice agents .
Previous review s of the effects of statins have highlighted their benefits in people with CVD .
The case for primary prevention was uncertain when the last version of this review was published ( 2011 ) and in light of new data an up date of this review is required .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects , both harms and benefits , of statins in people with no history of CVD .