LDL cholesterol levels after switch from atorvastatin to rosuvastatin.

OBJECTIVE: Initial statin therapy may not always adequately reduce elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. Although alternative therapies are available, switching to another statin may be beneficial, especially for those at highest risk of cardiovascular disease and events. This study examined changes in LDL-C levels following a switch from 40/80 mg of atorvastatin (ATV) to 20/40 mg of rosuvastatin (RSV). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used data from the MarketScan administrative claims databases linked to laboratory values. Patients with or at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) who switched from ATV 40/80 mg to RSV 20/40 mg and had LDL-C values measured within 90 days before and 30-180 days after the switch were included. The change in LDL-C was quantified for each patient and summarized across all patients and within each switch pattern (e.g. ATV40 to RSV20). RESULTS: There was a significant mean (SD) decrease in LDL-C of 21% (30%) across the whole sample (N = 136) after switching from ATV to RSV. The greatest decrease occurred in patients who switched from ATV40 to RSV40 (N = 20; -29% [19%]; p < .001). Similar changes were observed overall and within each switch pattern when the analysis was limited to patients who were persistent on RSV in the post-switch period (N = 112; -24% [24%]; p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Switching from ATV to RSV was associated with a significant decrease in LDL-C among high-risk patients. Switching between these two high-intensity statins may offer a viable alternative to other treatment modifications aimed at lowering LDL-C in this population.

Statins in Chronic Kidney Disease: When and When Not to Use Them.

This supplement reviews the evidence from clinical trials for the appropriate use of statins in patients with Chronic kidney disease (CKD).

A Comparison of Statin Therapies in Hypercholesterolemia in Women: A Subgroup Analysis of the STELLAR Study.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in women in the United States. Aggressive treatment of modifiable risk factors (e.g., hypercholesterolemia) is essential in reducing disease burden. Despite guidelines recommending the use of statin treatment in hypercholesterolemic women, this patient group is often undertreated. This subgroup analysis of the Statin Therapies for Elevated Lipid Levels compared Across doses to Rosuvastatin (STELLAR) trial examines the effects of statin therapy in hypercholesterolemic women. METHODS: As part of the STELLAR trial, 1,146 women with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C ≥160 and <250 mg/dL) and triglycerides <400 mg/dL were randomized to rosuvastatin 10-40 mg, atorvastatin 10-80 mg, simvastatin 10-80 mg, or pravastatin 10-40 mg for 6 weeks. RESULTS: LDL-C reduction with rosuvastatin 10 mg, atorvastatin 10 mg, simvastatin 20 mg, and pravastatin 40 mg was 49%, 39%, 37%, and 30%, respectively, after 6 weeks. High-intensity statins (rosuvastatin 20-40 mg and atorvastatin 40-80 mg) reduced LDL-C to the greatest extent: 53% with rosuvastatin 20 mg, 57% with rosuvastatin 40 mg, 47% with atorvastatin 40 mg, and 51% with atorvastatin 80 mg. Similar results were observed for non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C). Increases in HDL-C were greater with rosuvastatin across doses than with other statins. All treatments were well tolerated, with similar safety profiles across dose ranges. CONCLUSIONS: Statin therapies in the STELLAR trial led to reductions in LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and triglycerides and increases in HDL-C among hypercholesterolemic women, with rosuvastatin providing the greatest reductions in LDL-C and non-HDL-C.

Renal effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in patients with diabetes who have progressive renal disease (PLANET I): a randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The role of lipid-lowering treatments in renoprotection for patients with diabetes is debated. We studied the renal effects of two statins in patients with diabetes who had proteinuria. METHODS: PLANET I was a randomised, double-blind, parallel-group trial done in 147 research centres in Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Romania, and the USA. We enrolled patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes aged 18 years or older with proteinuria (urine protein:creatinine ratio [UPCR] 500-5000 mg/g) and taking stable angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, or both. We randomly assigned participants to atorvastatin 80 mg, rosuvastatin 10 mg, or rosuvastatin 40 mg for 52 weeks. The primary endpoint was change from baseline to week 52 of mean UPCR in each treatment group. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00296374. FINDINGS: We enrolled 353 patients: 118 were assigned to rosuvastatin 10 mg, 124 to rosuvastatin 40 mg, and 111 to atorvastatin 80 mg; of these, 325 were included in the intention-to-treat population. UPCR baseline:week 52 ratio was 0·87 (95% CI 0·77-0·99; p=0·033) with atorvastatin 80 mg, 1·02 (0·88-1·18; p=0·83) with rosuvastatin 10 mg, and 0·96 (0·83-1·11; p=0·53) with rosuvastatin 40 mg. In a post-hoc analysis to compare statins, we combined data from PLANET I with those from PLANET II (a similar randomised parallel study of 237 patients with proteinuria but without diabetes; registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00296400). In this analysis, atorvastatin 80 mg lowered UPCR significantly more than did rosuvastatin 10 mg (-15·6%, 95% CI -28·3 to -0·5; p=0·043) and rosuvastatin 40 mg (-18·2%, -30·2 to -4·2; p=0·013). Adverse events occurred in 69 (60%) of 116 patients in the rosuvastatin 10 mg group versus 79 (64%) of 123 patients in the rosuvastatin 40 mg group versus 63 (57%) of 110 patients in the atorvastatin 80 mg group; renal events occurred in nine (7·8%) versus 12 (9·8%) versus five (4·5%). INTERPRETATION: Despite high-dose rosuvastatin lowering plasma lipid concentrations to a greater extent than did high-dose atorvastatin, atorvastatin seems to have more renoprotective effects for the studied chronic kidney disease population. FUNDING: AstraZeneca.