OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of the most commonly prescribed statins in Brazil for the prevention of cardiovascular CV events, using indirect comparison meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted. Medline and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register were searched for clinical trials that compared Pravastatin 40mg, Simvastatin 40mg or Atorvastatin 10mg against control (placebo or usual care), for primary and secondary CV prevention. Full-texts of relevant abstracts were retrieved and evaluated in duplicate and independently. Fixed-effect models were used for direct statin versus control comparisons, and the methodology described by Bucher et al. (1997) was used to derive indirect comparisons between statins. RESULTS: Eleven studies comparing Pravastatin 40mg (n=39,530), three comparing Simvastatin (n=20,859) and three comparing Atorvastatin (n=15,553) versus control were retrieved. No head-to-head comparisons between these statins in the pre-defined doses were found. All statins were significantly superior to control in the evaluated outcomes, and the highest risk reductions observed were for non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI): Atorvastatin relative risk (RR) = 0.57 (95% CI: 0.44–0.74, I2=0%), Pravastatin RR=0.79 (95% CI: 0.73–0.86, I2=12%), Simvastatin RR=0.62 (95% CI: 0.54–0.70, I2=0%). Indirect comparisons showed no statistically significant difference between statins in the prevention of total death, CV death and stroke. When compared to Pravastatin, the RR of MI for Simvastatin was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.67–0.91) and for Atorvastatin was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.54–0.94); the comparison between Atorvastatin versus Simvastatin showed no difference (RR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.68–1.29). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed similar efficacy among these statins in major events reduction in the doses evaluated. Pravastatin seems to be less effective than the others in the prevention of MIs. Considering the similar results of these drugs, market price must be used in the selection of the most appropriate therapy.