Statins trials

22 studies from 1994 to 2023, with 148,995 people taking part. Results: 15 fewer heart events or deaths, 4 no clear benefit, 1 lipid or plaque goal met, 2 safety, side effects or genetics. Every summary comes from the trial's PubMed abstract.

All 22 studies

• LODESTAR2023 · Rosuvastatin vs atorvastatin · 4,400 people

  In patients with coronary artery disease, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin provide similar long-term cardiovascular protection, but rosuvastatin carries a higher risk of new-onset diabetes requiring medication and cataract surgery.

  No significant benefitStatinsUS-approved

• REPRIEVE2023 · Pitavastatin · 7,769 people

  In people with HIV at low-to-moderate cardiovascular risk, daily pitavastatin significantly reduced major adverse cardiovascular events compared with placebo, though with modestly more muscle symptoms and diabetes.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• SPORT2023 · Rosuvastatin vs supplements · 190 people

  In people with elevated ASCVD risk but no prior ASCVD, low-dose rosuvastatin (5 mg) lowered LDL-C far more than placebo or any of six common dietary supplements, which showed no significant LDL-C benefit over placebo.

  Primary lipid endpoint metStatinsUS-approved

• SAMSON2021 · Atorvastatin · 60 people

  In patients who had previously stopped statins due to side effects, symptom scores were equally elevated on statin and placebo compared with no treatment, indicating most statin-associated symptoms are a nocebo effect rather than a pharmacological effect of the drug.

  Symptoms largely noceboStatinsUS-approved

• StatinWISE2021 · Atorvastatin · 200 people

  In patients with prior statin-associated muscle symptoms, atorvastatin 20 mg did not cause more muscle symptoms than placebo when tested in a blinded n-of-1 design, and most participants intended to resume statin therapy.

  No excess harm vs placeboStatinsUS-approved

• HOPE-32016 · Rosuvastatin · 12,705 people

  In an intermediate-risk, ethnically diverse population without cardiovascular disease, rosuvastatin 10 mg daily significantly lowered the risk of major cardiovascular events compared with placebo, though with a modest increase in cataract surgery and muscle symptoms.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• AURORA2009 · Rosuvastatin · 2,776 people

  In patients on hemodialysis, rosuvastatin lowered LDL cholesterol but did not reduce cardiovascular events or all-cause mortality compared with placebo.

  No significant benefitStatinsUS-approved

• JUPITER2008 · Rosuvastatin · 17,802 people

  In apparently healthy people with normal LDL but elevated CRP, rosuvastatin significantly reduced major cardiovascular events and all-cause death, though with a higher rate of reported diabetes.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• CORONA2007 · Rosuvastatin · 5,011 people

  In older patients with ischemic systolic heart failure, rosuvastatin lowered LDL cholesterol but did not reduce cardiovascular events or death, though it was safe and reduced cardiovascular hospitalizations.

  No significant benefitStatinsUS-approved

• SPARCL2006 · Atorvastatin · 4,731 people

  In patients with a recent stroke or TIA but no known coronary disease, high-dose atorvastatin modestly reduced recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events, though it slightly increased hemorrhagic stroke risk and did not improve overall mortality.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• IDEAL2005 · Atorvastatin vs simvastatin · 8,888 people

  High-dose atorvastatin lowered LDL-C more than usual-dose simvastatin and reduced some secondary cardiovascular endpoints and nonfatal MI, but did not significantly reduce the primary composite of major coronary events or all-cause mortality after prior MI.

  No significant benefitStatinsUS-approved

• TNT2005 · Atorvastatin 80 vs 10 · 10,001 people

  In patients with stable coronary disease, treating to a much lower LDL target with high-dose atorvastatin (80 mg) further reduced major cardiovascular events compared with the standard 10 mg dose, though with more liver enzyme elevations and no difference in overall mortality.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• CARDS2004 · Atorvastatin · 2,838 people

  In people with type 2 diabetes but no prior cardiovascular disease and no high LDL-cholesterol, taking atorvastatin 10 mg daily substantially lowered the risk of heart attacks, revascularization, and stroke, with no increase in adverse events.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• PROVE IT-TIMI 222004 · Atorvastatin vs pravastatin · 4,162 people

  In patients recently hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome, intensive lipid lowering with high-dose atorvastatin (80 mg) reduced death and major cardiovascular events more than standard-dose pravastatin (40 mg).

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• ASCOT-LLA2003 · Atorvastatin · 10,305 people

  In hypertensive patients with average or below-average cholesterol, adding atorvastatin 10 mg to antihypertensive therapy substantially reduced coronary events, stroke, and total cardiovascular events, though it did not significantly reduce all-cause mortality.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• HPS2002 · Simvastatin · 20,536 people

  Adding simvastatin 40 mg daily to existing treatment in high-risk patients safely reduced all-cause mortality and major vascular events, regardless of baseline cholesterol level.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• PROSPER2002 · Pravastatin · 5,804 people

  In elderly people at risk of vascular disease, pravastatin reduced coronary heart disease events and coronary death but did not reduce stroke risk.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• AFCAPS/TexCAPS1998 · Lovastatin · 6,605 people

  In men and women with average cholesterol but low HDL-C and no known heart disease, lovastatin substantially lowered the risk of a first major coronary event.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• LIPID1998 · Pravastatin · 9,014 people

  In patients with coronary heart disease and a broad range of cholesterol levels, pravastatin reduced death from coronary heart disease, overall mortality, and other cardiovascular events compared with placebo.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• CARE1996 · Pravastatin · 4,159 people

  In patients with average cholesterol levels after myocardial infarction, pravastatin significantly reduced the risk of fatal coronary events and nonfatal MI, as well as the need for revascularization and stroke, without a significant effect on overall mortality.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• WOSCOPS1995 · Pravastatin · 6,595 people

  In middle-aged men with moderate hypercholesterolemia and no prior MI, pravastatin significantly reduced coronary events and cardiovascular death without increasing noncardiovascular deaths.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

• 4S1994 · Simvastatin · 4,444 people

  In patients with coronary heart disease and elevated cholesterol, simvastatin reduced the risk of death and major coronary events compared with placebo over about 5.4 years.

  BenefitStatinsUS-approved

Other medicines

• Ezetimibe and bile acid binders
• Bempedoic acid
• PCSK9 inhibitors
• Lp(a) medicines
• CETP inhibitors
• Fibrates, omega-3 and niacin
• APOC3, ANGPTL3 and lomitapide
• Genetics and gene editing
• Meta-analyses

Search and filter all 106 studies in the trial database. Education only, not medical advice.