Association Between Achieved Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Long-Term Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes: An Analysis of FOURIER-OLE.

BACKGROUND: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the optimal achieved LDL-C level with regard to efficacy and safety in the long term remains unknown. METHODS: In FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk), 27 564 patients with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were randomized to evolocumab versus placebo, with a median follow-up of 2.2 years. In the open-label extension (FOURIER-OLE), 6635 of these patients were transitioned to open-label evolocumab regardless of initial treatment allocation in the parent trial and were followed for an additional median of 5 years. In this prespecified analysis, we examined the relationship between achieved LDL-C levels (an average of the first 2 LDL-C levels measured) in FOURIER-OLE (available in 6559 patients) and the incidence of subsequent cardiovascular and safety outcomes. We also performed sensitivity analyses evaluating cardiovascular and safety outcomes in the entire FOURIER and FOURIER-OLE patient population. Multivariable modeling was used to adjust for baseline factors associated with achieved LDL-C levels. RESULTS: In FOURIER-OLE, 1604 (24%), 2627 (40%), 1031 (16%), 486 (7%), and 811 (12%) patients achieved LDL-C levels of <20, 20 to <40, 40 to <55, 55 to <70, and ≥70 mg/dL, respectively. There was a monotonic relationship between lower achieved LDL-C levels-down to very low levels <20 mg/dL-and a lower risk of the primary efficacy end point (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospital admission for unstable angina or coronary revascularization) and the key secondary efficacy end point (composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) that persisted after multivariable adjustment (adjusted Ptrend<0.0001 for each end points). No statistically significant associations existed in the primary analyses between lower achieved LDL-C levels and increased risk of the safety outcomes (serious adverse events, new or recurrent cancer, cataract-related adverse events, hemorrhagic stroke, new-onset diabetes, neurocognitive adverse events, muscle-related events, or noncardiovascular death). Similar findings were noted in the entire FOURIER and FOURIER-OLE cohort up to a maximum follow-up of 8.6 years. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, long-term achievement of lower LDL-C levels, down to <20 mg/dL (<0.5 mmol/L), was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes with no significant safety concerns. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; Unique identifier: NCT01764633.

The overall benefits of empagliflozin treatment in adult siblings with glycogen storage disease type Ib: one year experience.

Introduction: Recently published case reports suggest the benefit of empagliflozin use in subjects with glycogen storage disease Ib (GSD Ib). Methods: We present the clinical and laboratory data of 2 adult brothers with GSD Ib treated with empagliflozin for 12 months. Results: There was no severe infection during administration of empagliflozin. The improvement of clinical symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis along with reduction in serum CRP levels and urinary albumin excretion was noted. Neutrophil count increased, allowing for reduction or temporary withdrawal of G-CSF treatment. Conclusions: Empagliflozin may be a new safe treatment in GSD Ib patients with an advanced stage of the disease.

Effect of the PCSK9 Inhibitor Evolocumab on Total Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: A Prespecified Analysis From the FOURIER Trial.

Importance: The PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and first cardiovascular events in the Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk (FOURIER) trial, but patients remain at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Objective: To evaluate the effect of evolocumab on total cardiovascular events, given the importance of total number of cardiovascular events to patients, clinicians, and health economists. Design, Setting, and Participants: Secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. The FOURIER trial compared evolocumab or matching placebo and followed up patients for a median of 2.2 years. The study included 27 564 patients with stable atherosclerotic disease receiving statin therapy. Data were analyzed between May 2017 and February 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point (PEP) was time to first cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, or coronary revascularization; the key secondary end point was time to first cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. In a prespecified analysis, total cardiovascular events were evaluated between treatment arms. Results: The mean age of patients was 63 years, 69% of patients were taking high-intensity statin therapy, and the median LDL-C at baseline was 92 mg/dL (to convert to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0259). There were 2907 first PEP events and 4906 total PEP events during the trial. Evolocumab reduced total PEP events by 18% (incidence rate ratio [RR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.75-0.90; P < .001) including both first events (hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.79-0.92; P < .001) and subsequent events (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.85). There were 2192 total primary events in the evolocumab group and 2714 total events in the placebo group. For every 1000 patients treated for 3 years, evolocumab prevented 22 first PEP events and 52 total PEP events. Reductions in total events were driven by fewer total myocardial infarctions (RR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.65-0.84; P < .001), strokes (RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64-0.93; P = .007), and coronary revascularizations (RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71-0.87; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: The addition of the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab to statin therapy improved clinical outcomes, with significant reductions in total PEP events, driven by decreases in myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization. More than double the number of events were prevented with evolocumab vs placebo as compared with the analysis of only first events. These data provide further support for the benefit of continuing aggressive lipid-lowering therapy to prevent recurrent cardiovascular events. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01764633.

Clinical efficacy and safety of achieving very low LDL-cholesterol concentrations with the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab: a prespecified secondary analysis of the FOURIER trial.

BACKGROUND: LDL cholesterol is a well established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. How much one should or safely can lower this risk factor remains debated. We aimed to explore the relationship between progressively lower LDL-cholesterol concentrations achieved at 4 weeks and clinical efficacy and safety in the FOURIER trial of evolocumab, a monoclonal antibody to proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9). METHODS: In this prespecified secondary analysis of 25 982 patients from the randomised FOURIER trial, the relationship between achieved LDL-cholesterol concentration at 4 weeks and subsequent cardiovascular outcomes (primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularisation, or unstable angina; key secondary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) and ten prespecified safety events of interest was examined over a median of 2·2 years of follow-up. We used multivariable modelling to adjust for baseline factors associated with achieved LDL cholesterol. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01764633. FINDINGS: Between Feb 8, 2013, and June 5, 2015, 27 564 patients were randomly assigned a treatment in the FOURIER study. 1025 (4%) patients did not have an LDL cholesterol measured at 4 weeks and 557 (2%) had already had a primary endpoint event or one of the ten prespecified safety events before the week-4 visit. From the remaining 25 982 patients (94% of those randomly assigned) 13 013 were assigned evolocumab and 12 969 were assigned placebo. 2669 (10%) of 25 982 patients achieved LDL-cholesterol concentrations of less than 0·5 mmol/L, 8003 (31%) patients achieved concentrations between 0·5 and less than 1·3 mmol/L, 3444 (13%) patients achieved concentrations between 1·3 and less than 1·8 mmol/L, 7471 (29%) patients achieved concentrations between 1·8 to less than 2·6 mmol/L, and 4395 (17%) patients achieved concentrations of 2·6 mmol/L or higher. There was a highly significant monotonic relationship between low LDL-cholesterol concentrations and lower risk of the primary and secondary efficacy composite endpoints extending to the bottom first percentile (LDL-cholesterol concentrations of less than 0·2 mmol/L; p=0·0012 for the primary endpoint, p=0·0001 for the secondary endpoint). Conversely, no significant association was observed between achieved LDL cholesterol and safety outcomes, either for all serious adverse events or any of the other nine prespecified safety events. INTERPRETATION: There was a monotonic relationship between achieved LDL cholesterol and major cardiovascular outcomes down to LDL-cholesterol concentrations of less than 0·2 mmol/L. Conversely, there were no safety concerns with very low LDL-cholesterol concentrations over a median of 2·2 years. These data support further LDL-cholesterol lowering in patients with cardiovascular disease to well below current recommendations. FUNDING: Amgen.