How helpful are statins as primary prevention in older patients?

Shared decision-making better when doctors know the time-to-benefit with statins, authors say
Reuters Health
senior pill

Primary prevention with statins can reduce cardiovascular events in some patients, aged 50 to 75, if they have a life expectancy of at least 2.5 years, according to a meta-analysis.

Treating 100 adults with no known cardiovascular disease with statins for 2.5 years would prevent one major adverse cardiovascular event in one patient, according to a report in JAMA Internal Medicine.