November 1st, 2019

Podcast 240: Overuse of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular events

Running time: 23 minutes

Paula Byrne set out to understand what the available data tell us about how many people are taking statins for primary prevention — and how much good is it likely doing them?

Also, how do you discuss their possible harms and benefits with patients?

Links:

Paula Byrne and colleagues’ analysis in The BMJ

Kausik Ray meta analysis in JAMA Internal  Medicine

Kausik Ray 2010 Clinical Conversations interview

NEJM Journal Watch General Medicine comparison of statin guidelines

3 Responses to “Podcast 240: Overuse of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular events”

  1. Richard M. Fleming, PhD, MD, JD says:

    The use of statins, PCSK9-inbhibitors and other treatments, focusing on reducing blood cholesterol levels, ignores the research we have published demonstrating that changes in blood tests for cholesterol, Lp(a), fibrinogen, homocysteine, C-RP, and the other factors laid out in my “Inflammation and Heart Disease Theory” published in 1999, do NOT correlate with changes in CAD itself. Qualitative Imaging or the use of serum blood tests do NOT aid in the decision making process. True Quantitative measurement is needed – FMTVDM – if we are to objectively find the answers to who, when and how, primary prevention patients should be treated with these medications.

  2. Shishir says:

    excellent podcast on a very important, controversial and neglected aspect of statin therapy and business.

    I learned a lot.

    Thanx

  3. Niranjan Kumar Hazra says:

    I am left uncertan as to who should decide about the statins dose, duration and criteria. Patient should just oblige the doctors .

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