Cost-effective statins?
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
"Statin therapy should be considered routinely for people across a wider age range and at lower risk of vascular disease than is currently the case," a BMJ online first study published Nov. 10 concludes. At current UK prices, a 40 mg dose of the drug "is likely to be cost saving, or would cost less than £2,500 per life year gained, for people with an annual risk of major vascular events of 1% or more," according to results from the Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group. In the UK, statin treatment is currently recommended for those who have an estimated 10-year risk of a cardiovascular event of 20% or more, the study notes. The trial evaluated 20,356 men and women with coronary disease, other occlusive arterial disease or diabetes in 69 hospitals in the UK. A model was developed to estimate lifetime risks of vascular events and costs of treatment and hospital admissions in the country...