Table 1: Primary prevention of heart disease and stroke [CMAJ

Primary prevention of heart disease and stroke

Table 1: Relative risk reductions in myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke (S) in patients with no history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease

Intervention Men <65* Women < 65* Men >= 65 Women >= 65

MI S MI S MI S MI S

Blood pressure lowering

Diuretics and/or blockers^13,14 (treatment for 5 years†) 14 42 14‡ 42‡ 19 35 19‡ 35‡

Cholesterol lowering

Bile-acid sequestrants¹⁵ (treatment for 7 years§) 25 0 ND ND ND ND ND ND

Fibric-acid derivatives ¹⁶ (treatment for 4 years§) 20 0 ND ND ND ND ND ND

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors¹⁷ (treatment for 4.9 years§) 31 0 ND ND ND ND ND ND

*2 of the 16 trials in the meta-analysis involved patients over 65.
†Diastolic blood pressure was lowered 5-6 mm Hg on average in nonelderly patients and 9 mm Hg on average in elderly patients; systolic blood pressure was lowered 10 mm Hg on average in nonelderly patients and 17 mm Hg on average in elderly patients.
‡Trials did not exclusively involve women, but most contained an important number of women: there is some evidence that the benefit might not be as great for women as for men.⁷
§Total cholesterol level was lowered on average 8.5% by cholestyramine, 11% by gemfibrozil and 20% by HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A) reductase inhibitors.
ND = no data from randomized controlled trials.

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| CMAJ August 15, 1997 (vol 157, no 4) / JAMC le 15 août 1997 (vol 157, no 4) |

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Table 1: Relative risk reductions in myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke (S) in patients with no history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease
Intervention	Men <65*		Women < 65*		Men >= 65		Women >= 65
Intervention	MI	S	MI	S	MI	S	MI	S
Blood pressure lowering
Diuretics and/or blockers^13,14 (treatment for 5 years†)	14	42	14‡	42‡	19	35	19‡	35‡
Cholesterol lowering
Bile-acid sequestrants¹⁵ (treatment for 7 years§)	25	0	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND
Fibric-acid derivatives ¹⁶ (treatment for 4 years§)	20	0	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors¹⁷ (treatment for 4.9 years§)	31	0	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND	ND
*2 of the 16 trials in the meta-analysis involved patients over 65. †Diastolic blood pressure was lowered 5-6 mm Hg on average in nonelderly patients and 9 mm Hg on average in elderly patients; systolic blood pressure was lowered 10 mm Hg on average in nonelderly patients and 17 mm Hg on average in elderly patients. ‡Trials did not exclusively involve women, but most contained an important number of women: there is some evidence that the benefit might not be as great for women as for men.⁷ §Total cholesterol level was lowered on average 8.5% by cholestyramine, 11% by gemfibrozil and 20% by HMG-CoA (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A) reductase inhibitors. ND = no data from randomized controlled trials.