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The widely recommended “treat-to-target” strategy, which is the basis for the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines, involves evaluating traditional coronary risk factors and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk and then pursuing target low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by titrating statin doses. Using a computer simulation model, investigators estimated the lifetime effects of 5-year treatment with statins using two different strategies:
Treat-to-target strategies (either a standard strategy or an intensive strategy, in which statins were prescribed in accordance with NCEP guidelines on optional intensification)
Simple risk-based approach (treating patients who have 5%–15% CAD risk with daily 40-mg simvastatin…