Should all patients with cardiovascular disease receive statin therapy?

With the strong correlation between the development of coronary heart disea se and elevated levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cho lesterol (LDL-C), therapies that significantly lower lipid levels will be w idely prescribed. Within the past 15 years, major studies have shown the st atins to be very effective in lowering LDL-C levels. Are the effects of sta tin therapy powerful enough to justify administering one of these drugs to every patient with cardiovascular disease? Among the arguments favoring its general usage are its safety record, its high rate of patient compliance ( especially in comparison to alternative therapies such as diet and exercise ), and its cost effectiveness. On the other hand, elevated levels of LDL-C are not the only cause of atherosclerosis, so simply lowering the LDL-C lev el is not the sole answer to reducing the risk of mortality and morbidity f rom coronary heart disease.