Statins Save Serious Cardiovascular Events

The benefits of statin therapy in patients who have already suffered a severe cardiovascular event (coronary artery disease leading to sudden cardiac death, a heart attack, or angina), or a cerebrovascular event (stroke), is undisputed. They have been demonstrated in numerous clinical trials, even in patients who don’t have abnormal lipid levels. This is known as ‘secondary prevention’. Secondary prevention is lowering the risk of an event (e.g. sudden cardiac death) following survival of an initial event (e.g. a heart attack). Primary prevention is lowering the risk of the initial event (the heart attack).

The ability of statins to be useful in primary prevention has, until now, been less clear. But an analysis of published studies just reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows clearly that, in patients without any evidence of cardiovascular disease, statin therapy decreases the occurrence of major coronary and cerebrovascular events. Statins do not, however, decrease the occurrence of coronary artery disease or overall mortality.

Does this mean that everyone over a certain age should be taking a statin? Some physicians think so. Others stand behind the concept of the polypill, which combines a statin with two or three blood pressure drugs; one pill a day could reduce cardiovascular deaths by 80%, is the claim!

While we’re waiting for the polypill, more and more of us will develop symptoms and/or signs that will cause our family doctor to propose we take a statin. Don’t reject the idea – I’ve been taking one for 5 years now.