Although our findings suggest that rosuvastatin has some benefit
for patients with ischaemic aetiologies of heart failure owing to
prevention of subsequent MI, the absolute risk reduction for MI
with rosuvastatin is comparatively small given the relatively few
MIs these patients experience in the context of their elevated
risks for other causes of death. For ischaemic heart failure patients
included in this analysis, the number needed to treat to prevent
one MI would be 94. Notably, the burden of MI in the CORONA
and GISSI-HF populations may be somewhat lower than in the
general ischaemic heart failure population, as both studies excluded
patients already on statins and may therefore reflect populations at somewhat lower risk for atherothrombotic events. Accordingly,
it is possible that the absolute risk reduction in risk for MI with
rosuvastatin would be greater in the general ischaemic heart failure
population than in the CORONA and GISSI-HF populations.