The clinical therapeutic implications of the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study

This analysis of the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) describes how the design, implementation, and results answer most questions or concerns of practicing physicians regarding practicality and advantages of blood cholesterol-lowering drug intervention in patients who already have coronary artery disease. The results demonstrated that a drug with the safety and efficacy profile of simvastatin, utilized as it would be in a physician's office, can improve mortality and morbidity in patients with existing coronary disease without important side effects, and reduce hospitalizations for patients with coronary heart disease.