BMJ  2006;333 (2 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7579.0-a

This week in the BMJ

Should statins be used perioperatively?

Using statins may prevent perioperative cardiovascular events, suggest Kapoor and colleagues (doi: 10.1136/bmj.38993.731725.BE) in their systematic review of 18 controlled studies. Perioperative death or acute coronary syndrome were seen 30-42% less often in statin users than in patients not taking statins at the time of surgery. The authors conclude, however, that the current evidence base is inadequate to justify the routine use of statins to reduce perioperative cardiovascular morbidity. A large randomised controlled trial is needed to provide a definitive answer to this question.


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Relevant Article

Lifetime cost effectiveness of simvastatin in a range of risk groups and age groups derived from a randomised trial of 20 536 people
Heart Protection Study Collaborative
BMJ 2006 333: 1145. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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