Intensive statin therapy for Indians: Part-I. Benefits.

The underlying disorder in the vast majority of cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is atherosclerosis, for which low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is recognized as the first and foremost risk factor. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, popularly called statins, are highly effective and remarkably safe in reducing LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels. Evidence from clinical trials have demonstrated that statin therapy can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, death, and the need for coronary artery revascularization procedures (CARPs) by 25-50%, depending on the magnitude of LDL-C lowering achieved.