Addressing the challenge

• Published in: European heart journal Vol. 19; pp. 29 - 35
• Main Author: OLSSON, A. G
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-10-1998
• Subjects: Atorvastatin Calcium; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Trials as Topic; Coronary Disease - blood; Coronary Disease - drug therapy; General and cellular metabolism. Vitamins; Heptanoic Acids - therapeutic use; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Hypolipidemic Agents - therapeutic use; Lipids - blood; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pyrroles - therapeutic use; Human; Enzyme; Treatment efficiency; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase; Metabolic diseases; Lipids; Hyperlipoproteinemia; Lyases; Dose activity relation; Oxo-acid-lyases; Carbon-carbon lyases; Chemotherapy; Hypercholesterolemia; Treatment; Atorvastatin; Dyslipemia; Mechanism of action; Antilipemic agent
• ISSN: 0195-668X; 1522-9645

Patients with hypercholesterolaemia are at an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Lowering elevated cholesterol levels has been shown to reduce effectively the risk of coronary events. Atorvastatin, a recently introduced statin, produces pronounced lipid-lowering via inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. For example, atorvastatin 10-80 mg.day-1 reduces low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline by 41-61% in a dose-dependent manner. Atorvastatin also lowers triglyceride levels by 23-45% over the same dose range. While sharing a common mechanism of action with other statins, atorvastatin leads to greater decreases in LDL-C, total cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and triglyceride levels than other statins. In the CURVES study, atorvastatin 10-40 mg.day-1 produced greater reductions in LDL-C than milligram equivalent doses of comparator statins. Studies have also shown that relatively more patients treated with atorvastatin achieve LDL-C treatment goals, and at a lower overall cost, than those treated with other statins. A further advantage of this enhanced efficacy is that atorvastatin shares a safety profile similar to that of the other statins. The efficacy and safety of atorvastatin has been demonstrated in a range of patient subgroups. A comprehensive ongoing clinical programme for atorvastatin includes morbidity and mortality studies.