CHD patients benefit from pravastatin treatment.

The LIPID Study Group (Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease). Long-term effectiveness and safety of pravastatin in 9014 patients with coronary heart disease and average cholesterol concentrations: The LIPID trial follow-up. Lancet 2002;359:1379-1387.

The results of the Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) trial underscore that treating most patients with coronary heart disease with hepatic hydroxymethyiglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors could save thousands of lives each year. The evidence of sustained treatment benefits and safety of long-term pravastatin treatment reinforces the importance of long-term cholesterol-lowering treatment for almost all patients who have experienced previous coronary heart disease events. Evidence of the continued effect was stronger for fatal events than for nonfatal events. The LIPID trial confirms that pravastatin reduces stroke, but longer follow-up should be conducted to determine the risk of cancer associated with pravastatin and simvastatin use.