E J Mills

Dr E J Mills, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; millsej@mcmaster.ca

QUESTION

In adults, do statins prevent stroke and reduce mortality?

REVIEW SCOPE

Included studies compared a statin (atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin) with placebo or no treatment and reported on clinically important cardiovascular outcomes. Studies that reported only on surrogate outcomes (eg, low- and high-density lipoprotein levels) were excluded. Outcomes were all-cause mortality and all-stroke incidence. Secondary outcomes included cardiovascular deaths, non-haemorrhagic and haemorrhagic cerebrovascular events, and fatal strokes.

REVIEW METHODS

Medline, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, CINAHL, TOXNET, Development and Reproductive Toxicology, Hazardous Substances Databank, PsycINFO, and Web of Science (all from inception to December 2006), and references of published systematic reviews and …