Articles related to STATINS

Bempedoic acid is currently approved for two patient subgroups. This 3-year, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined cholesterol-lowering and CV protective effects in a broader population of approximately 14,000 patients with elevated cholesterol who were unable or unwilling to take statins. The drug was 21% more effective than placebo at reducing LDL in this trial. There was a small but significant reduction in primary events of CV-related death, MI, stroke, or coronary revascularization.

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?

A conversation with Ann Marie Navar, MD, PhD, associate professor of cardiology at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas and associate editor of JAMA Cardiology, who discusses common statin-related myths, the safety of statin therapy, and reliable sources of information for patients.