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 .
Preventing the next event in the elderly: the PROSPER perspective.
Statins reduce coronary and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality in middle-aged individuals but their efficacy and safety in elderly people has not been confirmed . Several clinical trials including the Cholesterol and Recurrent Events ( CARE ) and Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease ( LIPID ) , have sub-analysed their results for the ' elderly ' cohort , but the Prospect i ve Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk ( PROSPER ) trial is the first trial to specifically evaluate the benefits of statin therapy on vascular risk in elderly men and women . The results have shown that pravastatin , given for 3 years , reduced the risk of coronary heart disease in elderly individuals . Within this same time frame , there was no significant benefit on the risk reduction of stroke but there was a trend to reduce the risk of transient ischemic attacks . It was discovered that those patients with the lowest baseline high-density lipoprotein cholesterol gained the most benefit from the intervention . Drug interactions between pravastatin and the concomitant medications seen in this elderly cohort , was not a significant clinical issue . Therefore , PROSPER extends to elderly individuals the treatment strategy currently used in middle-aged people
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 .