ABSTRACT
Until the last few years, the relative benefits and risks of lipid-modifying therapy in clinical practice had been controversial. There was clear epidemiological evidence of a continuous relationship between cholesterol levels and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) events and CHD mortality, both within communities and when comparing different populations.1 Although it has been estimated that each 1% decrement in total cholesterol was associated with a 2-3% decrease in CHD risk, regression dilution bias may have underestimated the strength of the association. From a meta-analysis of international studies, it has been suggested that each 10% decrement in total cholesterol is associated with a 38% reduction in CHD events.2
