Table 3.
Relative and Absolute Risks of Commonly used Agents
| Therapy | Event | Risk ratio (95% CI) | Additional cases per 10,000 persons/year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atorvastatin66 | Hemorrhagic stroke | 1.66 (1.08–2.55) | 19 |
| Simvastatin67 | Hemorrhagic stroke | 1.86 (not reported) | 2 |
| Pravastatin68 | New cancer diagnosis | 1.25 (1.04–1.51) | 52 |
| Rosuvastatin39 | New onset diabetes mellitus | 1.49 (1.11–2.01) | 50 |
| Fenofibrate69 | Deep vein thrombosis | not reported | 7 |
| Fenofibrate69 | Pulmonary embolus | not reported | 9 |
| Aspirin36 | GI bleeding requiring blood transfusion | 1.40 (1.07–1.83) | 2 |
| Aspirin36 | GI bleeding | 1.22 (1.10–1.34) | 8 |
| Rosiglitazone70 | Myocardial infarction | 1.66 (0.73–3.80) | 8 |
| Rosiglitazone71 | Bone fracture | 1.82 (1.37–2.41) | 94 |
| Pioglitazone72,73 | Bone fracture | 2.04 (1.22–3.41) | 88 |
| Alendronate74 | Atrial fibrillation | 1.86 (1.09–3.15) | not reported |
| Zolendronate75 | Serious atrial fibrillation | ~2.5 (p<0.001) | 26 |
| Bisphosphonates76 | Atypical spiral fracture of the femoral shaft | 47.3 (25.6–87.3) | 5 |
| Calcium supplements77 | CHD (MI, stroke, sudden death) | 1.43 (1.01–2.04) | 70 |
| Calcium supplements77 | Stroke | 1.45 (0.88–2.49) | 36 |
| Calcium supplements77 | Myocardial infarction | 1.67 (0.98–2.87) | 45 |
| Beta-carotene78 | Lung cancer | 1.28 (1.04–1.57) | 13 |
| Relative and absolute risks of mortality with commonly used agents | |||
| Fenofibrate69 | Total mortality | 1.11 (0.95–1.29) | 13 |
| Aspirin79 | Sudden death | 1.96 (0.91–4.23) | 5 |
| Rosiglitazone80 | Total mortality | 1.14 (1.05–1.24) | 45 |
| Calcium supplements81 | Total mortality | 1.09 (0.96–1.23) | 8 |
| Beta-carotene78 | Total mortality | 1.17 (1.03–1.33) | 25 |
CHD = coronary heart disease; MI = myocardial infarction; GI = gastrointestinal