In a nutshell
This study compared the effect of pitavastatin and simvastatin on reducing cholesterol in patients at high risk of coronary heart disease.
Some background
Coronary heart disease refers to narrowing of blood vessels that supply the heart with blood, oxygen and nutrients. It is caused by a build up of the fatty substance, cholesterol, in the blood vessels and can lead to a heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the bad form of cholesterol that collects in the walls of blood vessels.
Statins reduce the occurrence of coronary heart disease by inhibiting the production of cholesterol. However, despite their positive effect on coronary heart disease, many patients do not reach recommended cholesterol targets.
This study compared the effect of two statins, simvastatin and pitavastatin, on reducing cholesterol in patients at high risk of coronary heart disease.
Methods & findings
Among participants with high cholesterol, 223 people received 4 mg of pitavastatin and 107 people received 40 mg of simvastatin once daily for 12 weeks. LDL-cholesterol was measured after the 12 weeks to see which statin was more effective at reducing cholesterol.
The study showed that pitavastatin reduced LDL-cholesterol by on average of 44% compared with 43% in the simvastatin group. More than 80% of patients in each group reached recommended LDL-cholesterol targets. However, pitasvastatin provided a greater increase in high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and a significantly greater decrease in triglycerides (fat) than simvastatin.
The bottom line
Pitavasvatin 4 mg is as effective as simvastatin 40 mg in lowering LDL-cholesterol in patients at high risk of coronary heart disease with additional effect on HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Therefore, due to the smaller required dose and added benefits, pitavastatin may be more appropriate for the management of high cholesterol in patients at high cardiovascular risk.
The fine print
Only one dose of each drug was tested and larger doses could prove more effective. Also the patient population was primarily white, and so may not evenly reflect other ethnic populations.
What’s next?
If you or someone you know has high cholesterol, talk to a doctor about which statin would be of most benefit to you.
Published By :
Advances in therapy
Date :
Sep 01, 2011
