Statins as the new aspirin

Statins as the new aspirin

Sir

The real chances of benefit for the patient taking statins, according
the figures from Heart Protect Study are:

- 32 patients are needed to treat with statins in order to prevent 1
CHD event over 5 years

- 65 patients are needed to treat with statins in order to prevent 1
stroke over 5 years

- 82 patients are needed to treat with statins in order to prevent 1 CHD
death over 5 years

- 366 patients are needed to treat with statins in order to prevent 1
death by other vascular causes over 5 years

- 58 patients are needed to treat with statins in order to prevent 1 death
by any causes over 5 years

1. Medical Research Council/British Heart Foundation Heart Protection
Study. Press release. Life-saver: World’s largest cholesterol-lowering
trial reveals massive benefits for high-risk patients. At
http://www.ctsu.ox.ac.uk/~hps/pr.shtml

2. Kmietowicz Z. Statins are the new aspirin, Oxford researchers say. BMJ
2001; 323: 1145

Carlos Monteiro, secretary

Infarct Combat Project

secretary@infarctcombat.org

http://www.infarctcombat.org