Do Women Get Equal Benefit from Statins?

Statin drugs might not benefit women as much as they do men, a new research analysis suggests. But experts writing a related editorial found fault with the conclusions. The new study pooled the results of 11 prior studies. They included a total of 43,191 people. Only one-fifth of those were women. Among women and men, taking statins reduced the risk of a heart attack 27%. Men taking statins also had a lower risk of repeat stroke than those taking placebo pills. Their risk of death from all causes also was lower. But for women, the difference in risk for stroke and all-cause death was smaller. Researchers said it was small enough that it could have been the result of chance. The journal Archives of Internal Medicine published the study. Writers of an editorial in the same journal said the analysis left out too many relevant studies.