Statins have been the drug of choice for prevention of cardiovascular events in high risk patients. This study on statins further reiterates its efficacy and also compares the effects of the two frequently used statins.

Team@CMHF

Statins reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes and slow the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in proportion to their ability to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. However, few studies have either assessed the ability of intensive statin treatments to achieve disease regression or compared alternative approaches to maximal statin administration.

Methods We performed serial intravascular ultrasonography in 1039 patients with coronary disease, at baseline and after 104 weeks of treatment with either atorvastatin, 80 mg daily, or rosuvastatin, 40 mg daily, to compare the effect of these two intensive statin regimens on the progression of coronary atherosclerosis, as well as to assess their safety and side-effect profiles.

Results After 104 weeks of therapy, the rosuvastatin group had lower levels of LDL cholesterol than the atorvastatin group , and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol . The primary efficacy end point, percent atheroma volume (PAV), decreased by 0.99% with atorvastatin and by 1.22% with rosuvastatin. The effect on the secondary efficacy end point, normalized total atheroma volume (TAV), was more favorable with rosuvastatin than with atorvastatin:  Both agents induced regression in the majority of patients: 63.2% with atorvastatin and 68.5% with rosuvastatin for PAV  and 64.7% and 71.3%, respectively, for TAV . Both agents had acceptable side-effect profiles, with a low incidence of laboratory abnormalities and cardiovascular events.

Conclusions Maximal doses of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin resulted in significant regression of coronary atherosclerosis. Despite the lower level of LDL cholesterol and the higher level of HDL cholesterol achieved with rosuvastatin, a similar degree of regression of PAV was observed in the two treatment groups.

Ref: http://www.docguide.com/effect-two-intensive-statin-regimens-progression-coronary-disease?hash=80445d1a&eid=23294&alrhash=2efbb8-880279c42369cc2f8adcb48a6daaf3d2