Prevention

Lower cholesterol levels ^a even for patients with average levels (cholesterol 4.0 mmol/l to 6.2 mmol/l) ^a  

Why

• Patients with coronary artery disease who have cholesterol-lowering therapy are less likely to die, particularly from heart disease ^a

Lowering cholesterol reduces mortality

Patient	Treatment	Comparison	Outcome	CER	RRR (95% CI)	NNT (95% CI)
coronary artery disease a	cholesterol-lowering therapy	no therapy	death at 2 years	10%	16% (12% to 19%)	63 (51 to 81)
			death from coronary heart disease at 2 years	6.4%	28% (24% to 32%)	56 (48 to 67)

• Patients with cholesterol levels < 6.2 mmol/l who take pravastatin are less likely to have another myocardial infarction or die from heart disease, or require invasive therapy. ^a

Pravastatin reduces myocardial infarction or invasive therapy in patients with cholesterol levels < 6.2 mmol/l

Patient	Treatment	Comparison	Outcome	CER	RRR (95% CI)	NNT (95% CI)
myocardial infarction and cholesterol levels < 6.2 mmol/l a	pravastatin	placebo	non-fatal MI at 5 years	8.3%	28% (9% to 47%)	43 (26 to 140)
			CABG or PTCA at 5 years	19%	26% (14% to 37%)	21 (14 to 39)
myocardial infarction or unstable angina and cholesterol levels 4.0 mmol/l to 7.0 mmol/l a	pravastatin	placebo	death at 6 years	14%	22% (12% to 30%)	33 (23 to 60)
			hospitalisation with unstable angina at 6 years	25%	9% (2% to 16%)	44 (25 to 180)