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 .
Comparative dose efficacy study of atorvastatin versus simvastatin, pravastatin, lovastatin, and fluvastatin in patients with hypercholesterolemia (the CURVES study)
The objective of this multicenter , r and omized , open-label , parallel-group , 8-week study was to evaluate the comparative dose efficacy of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A ( HMG-CoA ) reductase inhibitor atorvastatin 10 , 20 , 40 , and 80 mg compared with simvastatin 10 , 20 , and 40 mg , pravastatin 10 , 20 , and 40 mg , lovastatin 20 , 40 , and 80 mg , and fluvastatin 20 and 40 mg . Investigators enrolled 534 hypercholesterolemic patients ( low-density lipoprotein [ LDL ] cholesterol > or = 160 mg/dl [ 4.2 mmol/L ] and triglycerides < or = 400 mg/dl [ 4.5 mmol/L ] ) . The efficacy end points were mean percent change in plasma LDL cholesterol ( primary ) , total cholesterol , triglycerides , and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations from baseline to the end of treatment ( week 8) . Atorvastatin 10 , 20 , and 40 mg produced greater ( p < or = 0.01 ) reductions in LDL cholesterol , -38 % , -46 % , and -51 % , respectively , than the milligram equivalent doses of simvastatin , pravastatin , lovastatin , and fluvastatin . Atorvastatin 10 mg produced LDL cholesterol reductions comparable to or greater than ( p < or = 0.02 ) simvastatin 10 , 20 , and 40 mg , pravastatin 10 , 20 , and 40 mg , lovastatin 20 and 40 mg , and fluvastatin 20 and 40 mg . Atorvastatin 10 , 20 , and 40 mg produced greater ( p < or = 0.01 ) reductions in total cholesterol than the milligram equivalent doses of simvastatin , pravastatin , lovastatin , and fluvastatin . All reductase inhibitors studied had similar tolerability . There were no incidences of persistent elevations in serum transaminases or myositis
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 .