Abstract

The benefits of statins are well established in certain fields of cardiology. However, there are still unresolved issues in which statins are doubtfully effective in providing absolute benefit. Two large clinical trials showed that statins did not diminish the mortality rate in patients with heart failure. According to a randomized prospective clinical trial statins were also not able to halt the progression of aortic valve sclerosis. One large trial dictated that pravastatin did not significantly reduce either all-cause mortality or coronary heart disease when compared with usual care in older participants with well-controlled hypertension and moderately elevated low density cholesterol. Another study revealed that in patients undergoing hemodialysis, the initiation of treatment with rosuvastatin lowered the low density cholesterol level but had no significant effect on the composite primary end point of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke.