Statins lower the risk of stroke by about a quarter in low-risk people, just as effectively as they do in people who already have heart disease.
Scientific Claim
Statin therapy reduces the risk of stroke by 24% per 1.0 mmol/L LDL cholesterol reduction in individuals with a 5-year vascular risk below 10%, with no significant difference in effect size compared to higher-risk groups.
Original Statement
“The reduction in stroke risk per 1.0 mmol/L LDL cholesterol reduction (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.80–0.89) was similar at all levels of baseline major vascular event risk (trend p=0.3)... In particular, the reduction in stroke risk in those with predicted 5-year major vascular event risk lower than 10% (RR 0.76, 99% CI 0.61–0.95; p=0.0012) was also similar to that seen in higher risk categories.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The RCT-based meta-analysis with individual data and intention-to-treat analysis supports causal inference. The effect is statistically significant and consistent across risk strata.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials
This big study found that taking statins lowers stroke risk by about 24% for every 1 mmol/L drop in bad cholesterol—even in people with very low risk of heart problems—and the benefit was just as strong as in high-risk people.