Absolute Risk and Relative Risk? Relative Risk Reduction (RRR) means how much risk in the relationship is reduced by taking the medicine. Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR) means how much your actual risk has been reduced. This means that statins don't have the same effect on everyone at the same percentage. It depends on your risk of developing the underlying disease. What factors determine the risk of heart disease? As per AHA – Prevent Score or QRisk Scores are used calculate your risk based on several factors: • Age • gender • blood pressure • Cholesterol levels (total and HDL) • smoking habit • family history other diseases If someone already has heart disease, the benefits of statins are greater and the calculations are less necessary. However, for those without heart disease, doctors calculate each risk factor. Understand with an example First case 75-year-old male, cholesterol 220 mg/dL, HDL 45 mg/dL, and blood pressure 140/80 mmHg. Calculator's risk of heart disease over the next 10 years = 19.4 percent. If he takes statins, his risk will decrease by approximately 20 percent. This means his risk will now be 15.5 percent, meaning his absolute risk reduction is 3.9 percent. Second case 50-year-old woman, all other data remains the same. The calculator shows risk over the next 10 years = 3.6 percent Taking statins will reduce this by 20 percent, i.e., new risk = 2.88 percent Absolute Risk Reduction = only 0.72 percent Consult your Dr if need any further information.