Lipitor 80 mg may help reduce risk of major cardiovascular events in high-risk patients

Mar 16 2010

Lipitor^® (atorvastatin calcium) 80 mg was associated with a significantly reduced risk of major cardiovascular events compared with Lipitor 10 mg among patients with both coronary heart disease (CHD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were obese or had metabolic syndrome. These data, from two sub-analyses of the Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial that were designed and completed following the completion of TNT, were presented today at the 59^th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Atlanta, Ga.

“Nearly 26 million Americans suffer from CKD, which is often associated with co-morbidities – such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome or obesity – that can increase risk for heart attack and stroke”

“Nearly 26 million Americans suffer from CKD, which is often associated with co-morbidities – such as heart disease, metabolic syndrome or obesity – that can increase risk for heart attack and stroke,” said Dr. Prakash Deedwania, professor of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA and Chief, Cardiology Section, VACCHCS/UCSF Program, Fresno, CA. “The new data presented at ACC demonstrate that Lipitor 80 mg may help prevent cardiovascular events in these high-risk patients.”

According to the new analyses, for patients with both CHD and CKD, being obese or having metabolic syndrome may further increase their risk for cardiovascular events.

In one sub-analysis, which looked at the 1,859 patients in TNT who had CHD, CKD and metabolic syndrome, Lipitor 80 mg was associated with a 35 percent reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events compared with Lipitor 10 mg. In a separate sub-analysis of the 954 patients in TNT with CHD, CKD and obesity, Lipitor 80 mg was associated with a 33 percent reduction in the risk of major cardiovascular events compared with Lipitor 10 mg. For both sub-analyses, major cardiovascular events included a combined endpoint of death from heart disease, non-fatal heart attack, resuscitated cardiac arrest and fatal or non-fatal stroke.

The safety of Lipitor in these patient sub-sets was consistent with that in the overall TNT trial. Lipitor is not approved for the treatment of CKD, obesity or metabolic syndrome.