Articles related to PHARMACOTHERAPY

This study provides valuable insights into the comparative benefits and risks of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin in adults with coronary artery disease. Notably, while both drugs showed comparable efficacy, rosuvastatin was associated with a higher risk of new onset diabetes mellitus and cataract surgery.

A recent Danish cohort study reveals that older adults (≥75 years) may experience a more pronounced LDL-C reduction with low- to moderate-intensity statins than their younger counterparts. This finding emphasizes the need to consider age when prescribing statin therapy.

This summary of a January 2023 JACC article highlights the study finding that rosuvastatin was “vastly superior to… any of the six supplements studied in the trial.” The study compared rosuvastatin to cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, red yeast rice, fish oil, and plant sterols. Rosuvastatin yielded a reduction in cholesterol of nearly 38 percent in just 28 days. The supplements had little to no effect but were significantly more costly than the statin.

The statin group experienced an average LDL-C reduction of 37.9%, according to the results of the single-center, prospective, randomized, single-blind SPORT study (Supplements, Placebo, or Rosuvastatin), while those who took dietary supplements experienced LDL-C changes similar to those in the placebo group. Additionally, rosuvastatin-treated patients experienced average decreases in triglycerides of 19% and total cholesterol of 24%. For any of the supplements, there were no differences in either total cholesterol or triglycerides when compared to placebo.

These recommendations “attempt to provide practical guidance for clinicians and patients regarding the use of nonstatin therapies to further reduce ASCVD risk in situations not covered by the guideline until such time as the scientific evidence base expands.”

The USPSTF comes to the conclusion that statin use has at least a moderate net benefit for adults aged 40 to 75 who have no prior history of CVD, at least one CVD risk factor, and an estimated 10-year CVD event risk of 10% or greater. There is at least a marginal net benefit from using statins to prevent CVD events and all-cause mortality in adults aged 40 to 75 who have no prior history of CVD, at least one of these risk factors, and an estimated 10-year CVD event risk of 7.5% to less than 10%. Still, is the evidence enough?