Cholesterol, cholesterol-lowering agents/statins, and urologic disease: Part V--Statins versus aspirin for primary prevention, and the winner is...?
There are no national guidelines when comparing an aspirin daily to a statin drug in individuals with no history of a cardiovascular event (primary prevention). However, recent reviews of the medical clinical research on statins and aspirin for preventing a first coronary heart disease (CHD) event concluded that compared to no treatment, aspirin is cheaper and has more of an impact in middle-aged men whose 10-year risk for CHD is 7.5% or higher, and adding a statin to aspirin therapy is better in terms of cost effectiveness when a patient's 10-year CHD risk before any treatment is greater than 10%. However, when scrutinizing these data it seems that statins beat aspirin in every single risk-reduction category, and has equal to perhaps less side effects, but a statin costs more. In addition, patients should be informed about the recent observational data suggesting that statins may reduce mortality from other causes such as prostate cancer.
Moyad
Mark A
MA
University of Michigan Medical Center, Department of Urology, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Merrick
Gregory S
GS
D001241:Aspirin / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002423:Cause of Death; D016527:Drug Costs; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D018579:Patient Selection; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin