Extrapolating results of trial of simvastatin gives room for doubt

EDITOR,—In their editorial Michael Oliver and colleagues clearly state the case for cholesterol lowering treatments in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.1 From the information presented there indeed seems “little justification for inertia” or room for “controversy.” Are there some important unanswered questions, not addressed in the editorial, that will inevitable lead to delay in the implementation of the research findings discussed?

Firstly, as a three to six month trial of diet is recommended, most patients requiring cholesterol lowering drugs after infarction will …