New study supporting the importance of aggressive cholesterol-lowering

New clinical data shows that intensive cholesterol-lowering to targets below currently recommended levels significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke for people with diabetes and heart disease.

In the Treating to New Targets (TNT) study, people with diabetes treated with 80 mg of atorvastatin (LIPITOR) to cholesterol levels below previously recommended experienced a 25 per cent reduction of major cardiovascular events (including CHD death, non-fatal heart attacks, resuscitated cardiac arrest and fatal or non-fatal strokes) compared to patients treated with 10 mg of atorvastatin.

"People with diabetes are at an even higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke than people who do not have diabetes," says Donna Lillie, Vice President, Research and Professional Education, Canadian Diabetes Association. "These results are additional evidence that aggressive lowering of cholesterol levels is an important factor in the prevention of heart attack and stroke for people with diabetes."

The results of the diabetes portion of the TNT study were announced yesterday at the American Diabetes Association 65th Annual Scientific Sessions in San Diego, California.

"The latest results of TNT show people with diabetes and heart disease will significantly benefit from lowering their LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) levels to below the previously recommended level of 2.5 mmol/L," says Dr. Lawrence Leiter, Head of Endocrinology at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

More than two million Canadians have diabetes and this number is expected to increase dramatically as the population ages. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for the vast majority of cases, has become a public health issue that is significantly increasing worldwide.

"Type 2 diabetes is a growing concern in Canada and managing the condition requires ongoing monitoring for blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol," says Lillie. "The Canadian Diabetes Association current Clinical Practice Guidelines support aggressively controlling lipid levels and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke."

The five-year TNT study involved 10,000 patients with established coronary heart disease and elevated LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels. More than 1,000 Canadian patients, at 20 different research sites across the country were enrolled in TNT. The diabetes subgroup analysis involved 1,500 people with heart disease and diabetes and a LDL of less than 3.4 mmol/L. The study assessed whether high-dose atorvastatin-treated patients who intensively lowered their LDL-cholesterol levels to well below the current guidelines would experience additional cardiovascular benefits compared to atorvastatin-treated patients who maintained their LDL- cholesterol at recommended levels.