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 .
Disease-free intervals after partial ileal bypass in patients with coronary heart disease and hypercholesterolemia: report from the Program on the Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH).
OBJECTIVES We sought to analyze the disease-free intervals and calculate the freedom from atherosclerosis events in the Program on the Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias ( POSCH ) . BACKGROUND The POSCH study was a r and omized , secondary lipid/atherosclerosis intervention trial that provided strong evidence for reduction in atherosclerosis progression as demonstrated by clinical and arteriographic end points . The 417 control group patients received American Heart Association phase II diet instruction , and the 421 intervention group patients received identical dietary instruction and underwent a partial ileal bypass operation . METHODS Four outcome measures were determined : 1 ) overall mortality , 2 ) coronary heart disease mortality , 3 ) coronary heart disease mortality and confirmed nonfatal myocardial infa rct ion , and 4 ) coronary/cardiac interventions . RESULTS An overall mortality rate of 10 % occurred at 6.7 years in the control group and 9.4 years in the intervention group , for a gain in disease-free interval of 2.7 years in the intervention group ( p = 0.032 ) . A coronary heart disease mortality rate of 8 % occurred at 7.2 years in the control group and 11 years in the intervention group , for a gain of 3.8 years ( p = 0.046 ) . Twenty percent of patients demonstrated the combined end point of coronary heart disease mortality and confirmed nonfatal myocardial infa rct ion at 5.9 years in the control group and 11.4 years in the intervention group , for a gain of 5.5 years ( p < 0.001 ) . Twenty-five percent of patients underwent either coronary artery bypass graft surgery , percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or heart transplantation at 5.4 years in the control group and 12.4 years in the intervention group , for a gain of 7 years ( p < 0.001 ) . CONCLUSIONS The marked lipid modification achieved by partial ileal bypass in the POSCH trial led to demonstrable increases in the disease-free intervals for overall mortality , coronary heart disease mortality , coronary heart disease mortality and confirmed nonfatal myocardial infa rct ion , and coronary intervention procedures . For the clinician and the patient , estimation of disease-free intervals may be more relevant than assessment of differences in incidence rates and risk ratios
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 .