Rosuvastatin improves the atherogenic and atheroprotective lipid profiles in patients with hypertriglyceridemia

BACKGROUND: We examined the effects of rosuvastatin treatment on triglyceride levels and lipid measures in a parallel-group multicenter trial (4522IL/0035) in patients with hypertriglyceridemia (Fredrickson Type IIb or IV). METHODS: After a 6-week dietary lead-in period while on a National Cholesterol Education Program step I diet, 156 patients with fasting triglyceride levels >/= 300 and < 800 mg/dl were randomized to 6 weeks of double-blinded treatment: once-daily rosuvastatin of 5, 10, 20, 40 or 80 mg or placebo. The primary end point was mean percentage change from baseline in total serum triglyceride levels at week 6 as determined by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Rosuvastatin at all doses produced significant mean reductions in triglycerides compared with placebo (-18 to -40 compared with +2.9%, P </= 0.001); median reductions in triglycerides with rosuvastatin at 5-80 mg ranged from -21 to -46%. All doses of rosuvastatin significantly reduced levels of atherogenic lipoprotein and apolipoproteins over placebo, including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein C-III. Statistically significant increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were observed with rosuvastatin doses > 5 mg. The occurrence of adverse events was generally low and not dose related, although some adverse events occurred more frequently in the rosuvastatin 80 mg group. CONCLUSIONS: Rosuvastatin reduced triglyceride levels and improved the overall atherogenic and atheroprotective lipid profiles in hypertriglyceridemic patients.