March 2, 2004JAMA2,365 citations
Effect of Intensive Compared With Moderate Lipid-Lowering Therapy on Progression of Coronary Atherosclerosis
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Key Points
- The aim is to compare the effects of intensive versus moderate lipid-lowering treatment on coronary atherosclerosis progression in patients with coronary heart disease.
- Randomized trial design comparing atorvastatin with pravastatin in patients.
- Assessment of atheroma burden before and after treatment.
- Evaluation of changes in atherogenic lipoproteins and C-reactive protein levels.
- Atorvastatin resulted in no change in atheroma burden (p<0.05) compared to baseline.
- Pravastatin treatment led to progression of coronary atherosclerosis (p<0.05).
- Atorvastatin significantly reduced atherogenic lipoproteins and C-reactive protein levels compared to pravastatin.
Abstract
For patients with coronary heart disease, intensive lipid-lowering treatment with atorvastatin reduced progression of coronary atherosclerosis compared with pravastatin. Compared with baseline values, patients treated with atorvastatin had no change in atheroma burden, whereas patients treated with pravastatin showed progression of coronary atherosclerosis. These differences may be related to the greater reduction in atherogenic lipoproteins and C- reactive protein in patients treated with atorvastatin.
Cite This Study
Nissen et al. (2004) studied this question.