IDEAL: Sub-analysis

18 Aug, 10

IDEAL: Sub-analysis

Intensive atorvastatin therapy is associated with incremental benefits as compared to standard dose simvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Sub-analysis of IDEAL (Incremental Decrease in Endpoints Through Aggressive Lipid Lowering) trial

Patients with a recent myocardial infarction (MI) receiving atorvastatin 80 mg experienced significantly lesser cardiovascular events than patients receiving simvastatin 20-40 mg,according to results of an analysis of the IDEAL trial presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona, Spain.

This post-hoc analysis included a total of 999 patients who had MI < 2 months before randomization in the IDEAL study. These patients received either atorvastatin 80 mg/day or simvastatin 20-40 mg/day with a median follow-up period of 4.8 years.

After 5 years, high-dose atorvastatin reduced the following events as compared to simvastatin:

Significant 34% reduction in the risk of major coronary event (nonfatal MI, coronary heart disease death, cardiac arrest)
Significant 21% reduction in the risk of any cardiovascular event (major coronary event, revascularization, cerebrovascular event, unstable angina, congestive heart failure, peripheral arterial disease) (Figure)
Significant 18% reduction in the risk of a composite of death, MI, unstable angina, stroke and revascularization

Figure. Comparison of high dose atorvastatin vs. simvastatin on any cardiovascular event

The safety profiles were similar between the two groups.

The results of this analysis of the IDEAL trial indicate that as compared to standard therapy with simvastatin, high dose atorvastatin yields significant incremental reductions in cardiovascular risk in patients with recent MI.

World Congress of Cardiology, Barcelona, Spain, September 2-6, 2006