BHIVA recommends that people aged 40 and over should be offered a statin irrespective of lipid levels or estimated CV risk. The new guidance is the first in the world to respond to the results of the REPRIVE study, presented at the International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science. 

 **The study showed that taking pitavastatin daily reduced the risk of a major cardiovascular event such as heart attack, stroke or a clinical intervention to treat a serious heart disorder by 35% in people with HIV**. 

*BHIVA Recommends*
- The first choice for statin treatment in people with HIV should be pitavastatin 4mg daily.
- Atorvastatin 20mg daily can be used as an alternative. For people who cannot tolerate a statin, GPs should prescribe ezetimibe.
- People already taking a low-intensity statin (normally pravastatin at a dose of 10mg-20mg a day in people with HIV) should switch to a moderate-intensity statin (a statin at a dose that lowers LDL cholesterol by 30% - 49%), providing that this can be tolerated.

Source: BHIVA | [Read full story](https://www.bhiva.org/BHIVA-rapid-guidance-on-the-use-of-statins-for-primary-prevention-of-cardiovascular-disease)