Results

Statins were clearly beneficial for patients with diabetes and for those high-risk non-diabetic patients enrolled in the study.

There were reductions in the event rate for first presentation of any major vascular events:

• 22% reduction for treated diabetics (p<0.0001) vs. placebo-treated diabetics
• there were similar reductions in the other high risk patients

Sub-group analysis demonstrated that:

• diabetics who did not have overt vascular disease at entry into the trial had a highly significant 33% reduction in the event rate in simvastatin-treated vs. placebo-treated patients
• diabetics with an LDL-cholesterol lower than 3.0 mmol/L (116 mg/dL) had a significant 27% reduction in the event rate in simvastatin-treated vs. placebo-treated patients
• similar rate reductions were seen for diabetics with total cholesterol less than 5.0 mmol/L (193 mg/dL)