Statins for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

From the USPSTF and the JAMA Network. Learn more.

In 2016, the United States Preventive Services Task Force updated its recommendations on the use of statins to prevent cardiovascular disease in adults without prior cardiovascular events. The Task Force recommends use of low-to-moderate dose statins in adults aged 40 to 75 who have

One or more risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, dyslipidemia)

A calculated 10-year CVD event risk of 10% or greater

The Task Force recommends that clinicians selectively offer low-to-moderate doses statins to adults without prior cardiovascular events who have

One or more risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, dyslipidemia)

A calculated 10-year CVD event risk of 7.5-10% or greater

Recommendation Statement

Statin Use for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults – USPSTF Recommendation Statement

Statins for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force

Statins for Primary Prevention: The Debate Is Intense, but the Data Are Weak

Interpretation and Use of Another Statin Guideline

Evolving Approaches for Statins in Primary Prevention: Progress, but Questions Remain

Patient Page: Lipid Disorders: Screening and Treatment

JAMA Cardiology

Perspective on Trends in Statin Use

US National Trends in US Statin Use and Expenditures

Statins—Almost 30 Years of Use in the United States and Still Not Quite There

Related Resources

2013 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Treatment of Blood Cholesterol to Reduce Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Risk in Adults

ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort ASCVD Risk Calculator

2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines for the Management of Dyslipidemia for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in the Adult

2014 NICE Clinical Guideline: Cardiovascular disease: risk assessment and reduction, including lipid modification

Editorial

JAMA Welcomes the US Preventive Services Task Force

Related Multimedia

The JAMA Report: Statin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults

Author Interview: Dr Douglas Owens on Statin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults

Whiteboard video: Statin Use for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Adults

JAMA Author Interview with Douglas K. Owens, MD, MS

More Statin and Lipid Articles From the JAMA Network

Trends in Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Low-Density Lipoprotein in US Adults, 1999-2014

Asher Rosinger and Coauthors

JAMA Cardiology | Research Letter, November 30, 2016

Role of Nonstatin Therapies for Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Lowering in Management of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Donald M. Lloyd-Jones

JAMA Cardiology | JAMA Cardiology Clinical Guidelines Synopsis, November 30, 2016

Association Between Intensity of Statin Therapy and Mortality in Patients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Fatima Rodriguez and Coauthors

JAMA Cardiology | Original Investigation, November 9, 2016

High-Intensity Statins for Secondary Prevention

Robert O. Bonow and Clyde W. Yancy

JAMA Cardiology | Editor's Note, November 9, 2016

Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol–Lowering Genetic Variants and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis

Luca A. Lotta and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, October 4, 2016

Association Between Lowering LDL-C and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Different Therapeutic Interventions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Michael G. Silverman and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, September 27, 2016

Comparison of ACC/AHA and ESC Guideline Recommendations Following Trial Evidence for Statin Use in Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Results From the Population-Based Rotterdam Study

Jelena Pavlović and Coauthors

JAMA Cardiology | Brief Report, September 2016

Cost-effectiveness of PCSK9 Inhibitor Therapy in Patients With Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia or Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Dhruv S. Kazi and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, August 16, 2016

On the US Preventive Services Task Force Statement on Screening for Lipid Disorders in Children and Adolescents: One Step Forward and 2 Steps Sideways

Stephen R. Daniels

JAMA Internal Medicine | Editorial, October 2016

Lipid Screening in Childhood and Adolescence for Detection of Multifactorial Dyslipidemia: Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force

Paula Lozano and Coauthors

JAMA | Evidence Report, August 9, 2016

Why Cholesterol Testing in Children and Adolescents Matters

Samuel S. Gidding

JAMA Cardiology | Editorial, August 9, 2016

Association Between Achieved Low-Density Lipoprotein Levels and Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease Taking Statin Treatment

Morton Leibowitz and Coauthors

JAMA Internal Medicine | Original Investigation, August 2016

Nonfasting for Routine Lipid Testing: From Evidence to Action

Samia Mora

JAMA Internal Medicine | Evidence to Practice, July 2016

Drugs for Primary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

Kunal N. Karmali and Coauthors

JAMA Cardiology | Review, June 2016

Association of a Family History of Coronary Heart Disease With Initiation of Statin Therapy in Individuals at Intermediate Risk: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Maya S. Safarova and Coauthors

JAMA Cardiology | Research Letter, June 2016

Efficacy and Tolerability of Evolocumab vs Ezetimibe in Patients With Muscle-Related Statin Intolerance: The GAUSS-3 Randomized Clinical Trial

Steven E. Nissen and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, April 19, 2016

Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) Inhibitors for Treatment of High Cholesterol Levels: Effectiveness and Value

Jeffrey A. Tice and Coauthors

JAMA Internal Medicine | Evidence to Practice, January 2016

Cost-effectiveness of 10-Year Risk Thresholds for Initiation of Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Ankur Pandya and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, July 14, 2015

Cholesterol Lowering in 2015: Still Answering Questions About How and in Whom

Philip Greenland and Michael S. Lauer

JAMA | Editorial, July 14, 2015

Application of Pediatric and Adult Guidelines for Treatment of Lipid Levels Among US Adolescents Transitioning to Young Adulthood

Holly C. Gooding and Coauthors

JAMA Pediatrics | Original Investigation, June 2015

Eligibility for Statin Therapy According to New Cholesterol Guidelines and Prevalent Use of Medication to Lower Lipid Levels in an Older US Cohort: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study Cohort

Michael D. Miedema and Coauthors

JAMA Internal Medicine | Research Letter, January 2015

Further Insight Into the Cardiovascular Risk Calculator: The Roles of Statins, Revascularizations, and Underascertainment in the Women’s Health Study

Nancy R. Cook and Paul M Ridker

JAMA Internal Medicine | Original Investigation, December 2014

Comparison of Application of the ACC/AHA Guidelines, Adult Treatment Panel III Guidelines, and European Society of Cardiology Guidelines for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in a European Cohort

Maryam Kavousi and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, April 9, 2014

Comparison of a Novel Method vs the Friedewald Equation for Estimating Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels From the Standard Lipid Profile

Seth S. Martin and Coauthors

JAMA | Original Investigation, November 20, 2013