Once again about cardiovascular risk prevention, statins, its adverse effects and benefits

Abstract

The associations between statins and adverse events in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and type and dosage of statins are still less evident comparing with secondary prevention. The author analyzed the results of recent systematic reviews and meta-analysis and real clinical practice data. Primary outcomes were common adverse events: self-reported muscle symptoms, clinically confirmed muscle disorders, liver dysfunction, renal insufficiency, diabetes, and eye conditions. Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease as measures of efficacy. For primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, the risk of adverse events attributable to statins was low and did not outweigh their efficacy in preventing cardiovascular disease, suggesting that the benefit-to-harm balance of statins is generally favorable.