| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Agewall 2006 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| ALLHAT‐LLT 2002 | 15% patients had history of CVD |
| Ames 2011 | No relevant outcomes reported |
| Anderson 1993 | No placebo ‐ statin + antioxidant versus statin + antioxidant |
| ASCOT‐LLA 2003 | 18% patients had history of CVD |
| ASTRONOMER 2010 | Study is not a primary prevention |
| Bak 1998 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| BCAPS 2001 | 11% patients had history of CVD |
| Boccuzzi 1991 | Not a RCT ‐ all participants were given Simvastatin |
| Branchi 1995 | Control Group was not randomised |
| Byington 1993 | Secondary prevention |
| CASHMERE 2007 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Cassader 1993 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| CHALLENGER | Patients with CHD were included in study |
| Chan 1996 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Chuengsamarn 2010 | Study is not a RCT |
| CLIP 2002 | Not a RCT ‐ All participants were given Pravastatin |
| Cowan 2010 | Follow‐up duration was inadequate |
| Coylewright 2008 | Secondary prevention |
| CRISP 1994 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| CURVES 1998 | No placebo ‐ statin versus statin |
| Dangas 1999 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Davidson 1997 | No placebo ‐ statin versus statin |
| Duffy 2001 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Egashira 1994 | Not a RCT ‐ All participants were given Pravastatin |
| Eriksson 1998 | No control group ‐ Pravastatin vs. Cholestyramine |
| EXCEL 1990 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Faergeman 2009 | Comparison of two statins/doses |
| FAST 2002 | Over 40% had CVD and over 14% had CHD |
| Ferrari 1993 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Gentile 2000 | Treatment length was only 24 weeks |
| Glasser 1996 | Length of treatment was only 12 weeks |
| Gomez‐Garcia 2007 | Follow‐up period was less than a year |
| Guisasola 2009 | Study is not a RCT |
| Hokuriku NK‐104 Study 02 | Not a RCT ‐ All participants were given intravasating |
| Hongo 2010 | No placebo control group |
| Hufnagel 2000 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Italian Family Physician | Not a RCT ‐ open‐labelled |
| Jardine 2006 | Outcomes provided were aggregated. Unable to ascertain actual numbers for cardiac death and myocardial infarction. |
| JART 2011 | Comparison was between two types of statin |
| JELIS 2009 | No placebo/control group and study was a secondary prevention |
| J‐LIT 2007 | Study is not a RCT |
| Jones 1991 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Kappelle 2009 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| KLIS 2000 | Not randomised |
| Kojima 2010 | Secondary prevention |
| Lemaitre 2002 | Cohort study |
| Lin 2010 | No relevant outcomes reported. |
| LIPID 2010 | Secondary prevention |
| Mareev 2008 | Previous history of cardiovascular disease in most patients |
| McDermott 2003 | Participants were not randomised to statins or no statins |
| Mizuguchi 2008 | Study outcomes are not relevant to current review. |
| Mohler 2003 | Patients recruited had peripheral arterial disease |
| Mok 2009 | Secondary prevention |
| Muldoon 1997 | Treatment length is only six months |
| Nephrotic Syndrome Study | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Ohta 2000 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Oi 1997 | No placebo or control group |
| Olzowy 2007 | Outcomes of the study are not relevant to review. |
| Ormiston 2003 | Not a RCT ‐ all participants were given statins |
| Pavia 2000 | Intervention included Amlodipine |
| Pitt 1999 | No placebo ‐ statins versus angioplasty |
| POSCH 1990 | Statins were not used |
| Pravastatin Multi 1993 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| PROSPER 2002 | More than 10% of the participants had CVD |
| Safaei 2007 | Study is not a RCT |
| SANDS 2008 | Comparison of two different treatment algorithms which included statins |
| Schmermund 2006 | Comparision of 10 mg vs 80 mg of statin. |
| Sen 2000 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Sprecher 1994 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Stein 1997 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Su 2000 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Tanaka 2001 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Tarin 2010 | Secondary prevention |
| Teixeira 2011 | No relevant outcomes |
| Tekin 2008 | Not randomised |
| Thomas 1993 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Thrombosis Prevention | Statins were not used |
| Togha 2009 | Patients had a chronic disease. |
| Tran 2007 | The data are based on inadequate length of treatment |
| Wallace 2003 | Treatment length was less than a year |
| Wu 2007 | No comparison group |
| Yu‐An 1998 | Treatment length was less than one year |
| Zachoval 2000 | Comparison of two statins |
CHD: coronary heart disease CVD: cardiovascular disease RCT: randomised controlled trial