The 4S study demonstrated the benefits of statin versus placebo in a large clinical trials. Compared to the placebo group, those that took statin had 42% reduction in fatal heart attack, 37% reduction in need for future heart bypass and 30% reduction in stroke.

The AFCAPS/TexCAPS study consisted of healthy men and women volunteers from the Air Force. They were like most healthy adults - in good health, without heart disease, with "normal" LDL cholesterol and slightly low HDL cholesterol. The study was designed to determine if this group of healthy patients will benefit from statin therapy compared to placebo.

The result - yes, they did benefit from statin significantly. Compared to those that received placebo, those that were given statin showed a 40% reduction in fatal heart attack, a 37% reduction in acute heart attack and a 33% reduction in the need for heart bypass!

There is an almost linear relationship between on-treatment LDL level and CHD risk. HDL raising and LDL lowering to less than 70 are associated with both plaque regression and much lower event rate.

HATS Trial showed that in patients with CHD, combination treatment consisting of statin and niacin, resulted in reduction in the degree of obstruction as shown by cardiac catheterization (yellow). Those patients with regression also had the largest event reduction of -89%! (yellow).

The ASCOT study demonstrated the onset of benefit with statin (blue) compared to placebo (green). The benefits of statin became manifest within months and increased with time. This study was supposed to last for 5 years but was prematurely stopped because 36% reduction of events was reached by 3 1/2 years.

The longer the duration of treatment, the greater the heart attack reduction.

There are no other drug group that has been more studied than the 6 statin drugs - lovastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, simvastatin, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin.

No statin-induced death has been reported in any of the clinical trials.

Occasional muscle ache is the most common side effect reported in about 5% or less. It is not serious and reversible when drug is discontinued.

Liver enzyme elevation is rare - about 1 in 200. It is also reversible and does not result in permanent liver damage.

Intolerance to all 6 statin drugs is rare. About 98% of patients are able to take at least one of the six statin drugs. Intolerance to one brand of statin does not mean intolerance to the others.