Slightly more people die on statin treatment

This study was published in the Lancet 2008 Oct 4;372(9645):1231-9

Study title and authors:

Effect of rosuvastatin in patients with chronic heart failure (the GISSI-HF trial): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Gissi-HF Investigators, Tavazzi L, Maggioni AP, Marchioli R, Barlera S, Franzosi MG, Latini R, Lucci D, Nicolosi GL, Porcu M, Tognoni G.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18757089?dopt=Abstract

The study investigated the effects of the statin rosuvastatin in patients with heart failure.

4,574  patients aged 18 years or older with chronic heart failure were assigned to either rosuvastatin 10 mg daily (2,285) or placebo (2,289) and followed up for 3.9 years. Death rates and admission to hospital for cardiovascular reasons were measured.

The study found:

• 657 (29%) patients died from any cause in the rosuvastatin group and 644 (28%) in the placebo group.
• 1305 (57%) patients in the rosuvastatin group and 1283 (56%) in the placebo group died or were admitted to hospital for cardiovascular reasons.

This trial shows that people with heart failure will live slightly longer and have less cardiovascular disease if they avoid statin treatment.