Unintended effects of statins in men and women in England and Wales: population based cohort study using the QResearch database.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To quantify the unintended effects of statins according to type, dose, and duration of use.

Design

Prospective open cohort study using routinely collected data.

Setting

368 general practices in England and Wales supplying data to the QResearch database.

Participants

2 004 692 patients aged 30-84 years of whom 225 922 (10.7%) were new users of statins: 159 790 (70.7%) were prescribed simvastatin, 50 328 (22.3%) atorvastatin, 8103 (3.6%) pravastatin, 4497 (1.9%) rosuvastatin, and 3204 (1.4%) fluvastatin.

Methods

Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate effects of statin type, dose, and duration of use. The number needed to treat (NNT) or number needed to harm (NNH) was calculated and numbers of additional or fewer cases estimated for

SUBMITTER: Hippisley-Cox J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2874131 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature