As recently written about on Scope, new guidelines on statin use, and an accompanying risk-assessment calculator, have generated much conversation in the medical community. In a new Viewpoint piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Stanford professor and health research and policy expert John Ioannidis, MD, DSc, discusses potential implications of the guidelines, which could lead to more widespread use of statins for primary prevention. "It is uncertain whether this would be one of the greatest achievements or one of the worst disasters of medical history," he writes of potential worldwide "statinization." Read on to get more of his thoughts.
Previously: Stanford expert weighs in on new guidelines for statin use, The exercise pill: A better prescription than drugs for patients with heart problems?, “U.S. effect” leads to publication of biased research, says Stanford’s John Ioannidis and A call for mega-trials for blockbuster drugs
