Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters High dose statins under NHS plan

High dose statins on the high street: where are the data?

BMJ 2019; 367 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l5911 (Published 10 October 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;367:l5911
  1. Andrew N Bamji, retired consultant rheumatologist
  1. Rye TN31 7ES, UK
  1. bamji{at}btinternet.com

Allowing pharmacists to prescribe high dose statins under the NHS plan is an extraordinary decision.1 People seem unable to grasp the difference between relative and absolute risk reduction no matter how often they are told. Statins might produce a relative reduction in cardiovascular events of 50%,2 but if the original absolute risk is 5%, then the absolute reduction is only …

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