Author's reply

EDITOR—Correspondents responding to my article on bmj.com raise several interesting issues.1 Nevertheless no correspondent disputes either the approach (incremental cost effectiveness analysis) or the fundamental findings: that aspirin and antihypertensive treatment with bendrofluazide and atenolol are markedly more cost effective than statins and clopidogrel.

Conradi et al and O'Donnell indicate that statins may have more side effects than is generally appreciated. Mann doubts the effectiveness of clopidogrel in primary prevention.1 Both points strengthen the paper's conclusions. I agree …