ABSTRACT
Evidence for the clinical benefit of statins in prevention of recurrent coronary events is compelling and a simple, defensible strategy is to prescribe the drugs for all who have had a MI, regardless of the cholesterol level (i.e. without assessing it!). However, a more thoughtful but still robust approach is probably needed to ensure that all who need statin treatment receive it and also that lifestyle measures designed to reduce risk are given appropriate emphasis. At the moment, many post-MI, post-CABG patients who merit statin therapy do not get it because they ‘fall through the cracks’ in the division of responsibility between cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and general practitioners.
