When should we consider using statins for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)? Statins consistently reduce the relative risk of ASCVD by about 25%, across baseline levels of risk.
Accordingly, clinical practice guidelines recommend offering statins for primary prevention when 10-year ASCVD risk estimates are anticipated to outweigh absolute risks of serious adverse events. The current American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guideline recommends statins for patients with a 10-year ASCVD risk of 7.5% or higher, although with the advent of more accurate risk calculators, lower treatment thresholds of 3% or 5% have recently been proposed.
Among patients at a lower cardiovascular risk, statins may still be considered, but their benefit in terms of absolute reduction in risk of cardiovascular events is smaller and may no longer outweigh adverse event risks.
JAMA Internal Medicine published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 01 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Statins for Primary Prevention.
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