Public health impact of statin prescribing strategies based on JUPITER

To evaluate the public health impact of statin prescribing strategies based on the Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin Study (JUPITER).

We studied 2268 adults aged 35-75 without cardiovascular disease in a population-based study in Switzerland in 2003-2006. We assessed the eligibility for statins according to the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) guidelines, and by adding "strict" (hs-CRP≥2.0 mg/L and LDL-cholesterol <3.4 mmol/L), and "extended" (hs-CRP≥2.0 mg/L alone) JUPITER-like criteria. We estimated the proportion of CHD deaths potentially prevented over 10 years in the Swiss population.

Fifteen percent were already taking statins, 42% were eligible by ATPIII guidelines, 53% by adding "strict," and 62% by adding "extended" criteria, with a total of 19% newly eligible. The number needed to treat with statins to avoid one CHD death over 10 years was 38 for ATPIII, 84 for "strict" and 92 for "extended" JUPITER-like criteria. ATPIII would prevent 17% of CHD deaths, compared with 20% for ATPIII+"strict" and 23% for ATPIII + "extended" criteria (+6%).

Implementing JUPITER-like strategies would make statin prescribing for primary prevention more common and less efficient than it is with current guidelines.