LThe meta-analysis by Preiss et al is of particular relevance to patients treated with statins for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. Strong, clinically meaningful evidence that shows statins reduce all cause mortality in secondary prevention means that balancing treatment risks with benefits reduces to a question of the potency (and perhaps other properties) of which statin to prescribe rather than a choice between treatment or no treatment. Meta-analyses of statins and total mortality in primary prevention patients have provided conflicting results.5 6 7 While statins are recommended for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in all patients who tolerate treatment, the incremental increase in diabetes risk with higher potency statins compared with lower potency statins remains to be determined.