Statin pills help even if you're not at high risk
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
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Statins reduce stroke risk by 24% in low-risk people—even though they have low baseline LDL.
Many believe statins only help if cholesterol is high, but this shows even people with LDL under 2 mmol/L get strong protection.
Practical Takeaways
If you're over 40 and have LDL >2 mmol/L, ask your doctor about your 10-year CVD risk score and whether statins could reduce your risk by 20% with minimal side effects.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Statins reduce stroke risk by 24% in low-risk people—even though they have low baseline LDL.
Many believe statins only help if cholesterol is high, but this shows even people with LDL under 2 mmol/L get strong protection.
Practical Takeaways
If you're over 40 and have LDL >2 mmol/L, ask your doctor about your 10-year CVD risk score and whether statins could reduce your risk by 20% with minimal side effects.
Publication
Journal
Lancet
Year
2012
Authors
B. Mihaylova, J. Emberson, L. Blackwell, Anthony C. Keech, J. Simes, Elizabeth H Barnes, M. Voysey, Alastair Gray, R. Collins, C. Baigent
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Claims (10)
For every 1,000 low-risk people who take statins to lower their bad cholesterol by 1 mmol/L, about 11 will avoid a heart attack, stroke, or heart surgery over five years — a benefit much bigger than the small risks of side effects.
Statins cut the risk of heart attacks by nearly half in low-risk people by lowering bad cholesterol, even if they’ve never had heart trouble before.
People at low risk of heart disease who take statins are much less likely to need procedures like stents or bypass surgery to open blocked arteries.
For people without prior heart disease, taking statins lowers their risk of dying from heart problems and even from any cause, without increasing the risk of dying from other reasons like cancer or accidents.
Even people with very low risk of heart disease get just as much protection from statins as people at high risk — the lower your risk, the more you benefit per unit of cholesterol lowered.