Can statins reduce recurring cardiovascular events?

Statin drugs could hold the potential to reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in men and women, according to a new study.

Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center claim that the drugs, which lower cholesterol, can reduce the chances of secondary cardiovascular disease for both sexes.

Currently, there is much scepticism about the benefits of the drug for women. However, this study indicates that statins can produce more positive outcomes than previously thought.

Nonetheless, the investigation did observe that the drugs did not reduce all-cause mortality or stroke risk in women.

Dr Jose Gutierrez led the research and along with his team undertook a meta-analysis of 11 clinical trials to discover if statin therapy is more effective than a placebo in preventing the reoccurrence of cardiovascular complications.

"In our results, statin therapy reduced the recurrence rate of any type of cardiovascular event, all-cause mortality, coronary death, any MI [myocardial infarction or heart attack], cardiac intervention, and any stroke type," Dr Guitierrez explained.

Other studies have also suggested that statins have benefits for cognitive function and could protect against memory loss.

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