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Most clinical trials testing the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) have focused on their ability to prevent myocardial infarction. Prevention of ischemic stroke was a secondary endpoint, and the numbers of ischemic cerebrovascular events were small. Thus, data about these agents’ ability to prevent stroke are limited. In this manufacturer-funded meta-analysis, the authors carefully examined 42 randomized clinical trials that tested statins against either placebo or no treatment in 121,000 individuals with a range of ischemic vascular diseases. Strict inclusion criteria were used; studies comparing statins were not included.
Data from 11 trials, including 58,604 subjects total, showed that the statins tested…