In May 1998, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Zocor (simvastatin) and Pravachol (pravastatin) for the prevention of strokes and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). These actions were based on the findings of two studies. The first was the '4S' study (Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study), which found that Zocor reduced the risk of strokes and TIAs (mini-strokes) by 28 percent in patients who had known coronary heart disease and high blood cholesterol levels.
The second study was the CARE (Cholesterol and Recurrent Events) study, conducted in a similar population, which showed a reduction of strokes and TIAs by 26 percent. Both studies also showed that the two statin drugs reduced the rate of heart attacks.
