Hydroxymethylglutaryl–coenzyme A reductase inhibitors(statins) represent one of the most important pharmacologicadvances in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in decades.Since the publication of the Scandinavian Simvastatin SurvivalStudy in 1994,1 several trials have demonstrated important benefitsof statins in patients with established coronary disease. Thesefindings have resulted in strong recommendations for the useof statins in clinical-practice guidelines.2 Statins are oneof the few classes of drugs that are embedded in clinical-performancemeasures for coronary artery disease, which indicates that cliniciansshould be considered remiss if they do not prescribe these agentsfor all their eligible patients.3
From the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, and the Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Aurora, CO.
This article (10.1056/NEJMe0707221) was published at www.nejm.org on November 5, 2007.
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