ATLANTA -- In a study that specifically scrutinized the effects of statin therapy on triglycerides, researchers said that rosuvastatin (Crestor) significantly reduced the blood lipid that has been linked to coronary artery disease better than placebo.
"We believe that this may be the first study of statin therapy among patients with hypertriglyceridemia that has as it primary endpoint the reduction of triglycerides," said epidemiologist Juan Talavera, MD, of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social in Mexico City.
Action Points
- Explain to interested patients that this study -- which specifically scrutinized the effects of statin therapy on triglycerides -- found that rosuvastatin (Crestor) significantly reduced the blood lipid, compared with placebo.
- Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
In the study, Mexican patients treated with rosuvastatin 10 mg reduced triglycerides by 26%, while patients treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg reduced triglycerides by 33%. Placebo patients reduced triglycerides by 8%. The differences achieved statistical significance (P<0.01).
"In addition, rosuvastatin use significantly improved the artherogenic lipid profile," Talavera told ľֱ here during a poster presentation at the 2010 American College of Cardiology meeting.
The patients' low density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased 35% among those on rosuvastatin 10 mg, by 44% with rosuvastatin 20 mg and increased by 4% among placebo patients (P<0.01)
Talavera and colleagues also observed an increase in high density lipoprotein cholesterol of 12% in the rosuvastatin 20 mg patients and 7% in the rosuvastatin 10 mg group, compared with no change among the placebo patients (P<0.01)
"We have observed that among the statin drugs, rosuvastatin does appear to have greater beneficial effects among patients by decreasing triglyceride levels and increasing high density lipoprotein cholesterol -- as was seen in this trial," said Karthikeyan Ananthasubramanian, MD, of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
"We know there is an association between triglycerides and heart disease, so this result showing an overall improvement in the patients' lipid profiles is reassuring," he told ľֱ.
In the trial, Talavera and colleagues assigned 111 patients to rosuvastatin 10 mg, 112 patients to rosuvastatin 20 mg, and 117 patients to placebo. The patients' mean triglyceride levels were about 300 mg/dl. Their mean age was 53 years and about one third were women.
Adult patients were eligible for the eight-week trial if they had triglyceride levels of at least 200 mg/dl.
Talavera said there were no drug-related adverse events in the study.
Disclosures
The study was supported by AstraZeneca Mexico.
Talavera disclosed a financial relationship with AstraZeneca.
Ananthasubramanian did not have any disclosures.
Primary Source
American College of Cardiology
Source Reference: Talavera J, et al "A double blind, randomized, multicenter, parallel group, placebo control trial to evaluate the effect of statin therapy on triglycerides levels in Mexican hypertriglyceridemic patients" ACC 2010; Abstract 1076-112.