Point: why statins have failed to reduce mortality in just about anybody.

This discussion was sparked by an editorial critique by Sniderman et al regarding the 2010 Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) meta-analysis that suggested a statin ‘‘event’’ benefit from maximal lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. There are two issues that deserve further attention: the components of the CTT study end points and, most importantly, the issue of reduction in all-cause mortality.