Statins do not reduce short term heart attack risk

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A review shows that beginning statins within 14 days of a heart attack does not reduce the risk of death during the next four months.
Statins are cholesterol-lowering drugs which have proven benefit in the management of heart disease. A team at the University of Basel has carried out an analysis of clinical trials to see if statins can benefit heart attack survivors in the short term.

Twelve trials, involving over 13,000 patients were studied. These involved the early administration of statins - within 14 days after the onset of heart attack or unstable angina. The researchers wanted to see if there was any reduction in the risk of death, stroke or heart attack up to four months - that is, do statins offer benefit in the short term? There proved to be no statistically significant risk reductions in any of these events when patients are given statins early on. However, this analysis does not say anything about the possible long-term benefits of statins. Moreover, serious adverse effects linked to early initiation of statins are rare.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 3rd May 2006 Volume 295 pages 2046-2056

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