Deaths Due to Accidents and Violence in Two Recent Trials of Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

This article investigates a report by the Helsinki Heart Study & Lipid Research Clinics that found higher rates of deaths due to homicides, suicides & accidents in groups receiving cholesterol-lowering agents compared with groups receiving placebos. The authors of this article found that, after considering dropouts & known risk factors such as alcohol intoxication & psychiatric histories, there was little evidence to link cholesterol-lowering drugs & homicide, suicide & accidental deaths. (VM)