Figure 5.

Proportion of those eligible for statins who are above the acceptable NNT needed to justify taking a daily medication. The 1987 guidelines recommend treating anyone whose total cholesterol threshold exceeds 6.5 mmol/L, but does not describe the baseline level of risk required by a person to initiated treatment. Thus, the NNT cannot be calculated for 1987. Details of calculated risks are available from the authors on request. ESC/EAS = European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society. NNT = numbers needed to treat.