Analysis of 13 studies finds that statins offer no health benefits for women

This paper was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 2004;291(18):2243-2252

Study title and authors:

Drug Treatment of Hyperlipidemia in Women

Judith M. E. Walsh, MD, MPH;Michael Pignone, MD, MPH

Division of General Internal Medicine and Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.

This paper can be accessed at: http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/291/18/2243.abstract

The aim of this analysis of 13 studies (which included 19,707 women) was to determine if cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins have any effect on heart disease rates and death rates in women. The study investigated results for both women with cardiovascular disease and without cardiovascular disease.

The study found:

(a) For women with heart disease statins marginally lower heart disease rates, however death rates from all causes remained the same.

(b) For women without heart disease statins marginally raise heart disease death rates, however death rates from all cause again remained the same.

This analysis of 13 studies found that statins offer no health benefits for women.