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 .
Statin Use and Leg Functioning in Patients With and Without Lower-Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease
Background —We determined whether statin use ( versus nonuse ) is associated with superior lower-extremity functioning independently of cholesterol levels and other confounders in patients with and without peripheral arterial disease . Methods and Results — Participants included 392 men and women with an ankle brachial index ( ABI ) < 0.90 and 249 with ABI 0.90 to 1.50 . Functional outcomes included 6-minute walk distance and 4-meter walking velocity . A summary performance score combined performance in walking speed , st and ing balance , and time for 5 repeated chair rises into an ordinal score ranging from 0 to 12 ( 12=best ) . Adjusting for age , sex , ABI , comorbidities , education level , medical insurance status , cholesterol , and other confounders , participants taking statins  had better 6-minute walk performance ( 1276 versus 1218 feet , P = 0.045 ) , faster walking velocity ( 0.93 versus 0.89 m/s , P = 0.006 ) , and a higher summary performance score ( 10.2 versus 9.4 , P < 0.001 ) than participants not taking statins . Positive associations were attenuated slightly after additional adjustment for C-reactive protein level but remained statistically significant for walking velocity and the summary performance score . We did not find significant associations between lower-extremity functioning and  aspirin , ACE inhibitors , vasodilators , or & bgr;-blockers . Conclusions —Statin use is associated with superior leg functioning compared with no statin use , independent of cholesterol levels and other potential confounders . These data suggest that non – cholesterol-lowering properties of statins may favorably influence functioning in persons with and without peripheral arterial disease
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 .