New statin, pitavastatin, proves to be safe and effective in managing cholesterol in cardiovascular disease patients.

This study looked at whether long-term treatment (52 weeks) with pitavastatin is safe and effective at managing cholesterol among patients with cardiovascular disease.   

Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain or stroke. These conditions are most often the result of a process called atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of ‘bad’ cholesterol in the walls of arteries in the body. This build up causes a marked restriction in blood flow through blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to vital organs in the body such as the heart and brain.

Despite great advances in the therapeutic management of cardiovascular disease, it still remains a major contributor to global illness and death. Controlling high levels of bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol) and dyslipidemia (low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or ‘good’ cholesterol) are important elements in treating cardiovascular disease. Statin drugs, such as pitavastatin, reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular disease by inhibiting the production of cholesterol.

This study examined the safety and effectiveness of pitavastatin among cardiovascular disease patients. Patients with either high levels of bad cholesterol alone, or also with low levels of good cholesterol and who received different statins for 12 weeks previously were given 4mg of pitavastatin for at least 52 weeks. A total of 1,353 patients were included in the study.

The proportion of patients achieving ideal levels of good and bad cholesterol at 52 weeks was around 74%. The reduction in LDL cholesterol seen during the previous 12-week prescription of statins was sustained, while HDL cholesterol levels rose by 14.3% over the 52 weeks. Pitavastatin was well tolerated with 4.1% of patients withdrawing from the study due to adverse events unrelated to pitavastatin treatment. The most common side effects included 5.8% experiencing increased creatine phosphokinase in urine (related to renal impairment and heart attack), 5.4% developing nasopharyngitis (common cold), and 4.1% experiencing muscle pain. 

Pitavastatin 4mg daily was safe and effective at reducing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol during 52-weeks of treatment in cardiovascular patients with high cholesterol alone or with dyslipidemia. 

This study did not compare pitavastatin with any other statins so no conclusion can be drawn about whether it is preferred to other statins. 

If you or someone you know have cardiovascular disease, talk to a doctor about the benefits and risks of taking pitavastatin in managing high cholesterol or dyslipidemia.