[Statin treatment in primary and secondary prevention--a statement]

Abstract

Although lipid-lowering therapy in patients with established coronary heart disease (secondary prevention) is generally accepted, its benefit is often questioned in asympto- matic patients. The ongoing debate about the usefulness of statin therapy has disturbed many patients, especially in the French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland, which lead too often to treatment discontinuation, even in patients who would benefit the most from it. In the primary prevention, the reduction in LDL cholesterol levels with statins decreases the risk for cardiovascular events. The higher the baseline risk, the greater the benefits in terms of absolute risk reduction; hence, using a scoring tool to evaluate the cardiovascular risk is needed. For patients at low risk, lifestyle interventions are preferable.