What do recent trials tell us about statins?

Recent large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled trials in primary and secondary prevention of CHD have shown an overwhelming benefit for lipid-lowering therapy. These trials, which used HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, showed reductions in cardiac events, cardiac mortality, and overall mortality. These benefits are achieved with no significant increase in adverse events and no increase in cancer deaths. Now that scientific studies have been conducted and the data have established the benefits of treatment in patients with coronary heart disease and risk factors, the challenge to the medical community is to apply this knowledge by implementing appropriate cholesterol-lowering treatment when indicated.