In:
Circulation, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), Vol. 110, No. 16 ( 2004-10-19), p. 2333-2335
Abstract:
Background— For a variety of reasons, many patients abruptly discontinue statin therapy. The present analysis was conducted to determine whether the risk of cardiovascular outcomes increases after withdrawal of statin therapy in a stable cardiac population. Methods and Results— In the Treating to New Target (TNT) study, 2 doses of atorvastatin (10 and 80 mg once daily) are being used in a double-blind parallel-group design. Of the 18 468 patients screened for study participation, 16 619 entered a dietary lead-in/drug-washout period, and of these, 15 432 eligible participants began treatment with atorvastatin 10 mg/d on an open-label basis. Of the subjects who entered the dietary lead-in/drug-washout period, 57% were receiving prior statin therapy. During the 6-week drug-washout period, there were 24 primary events (defined as coronary heart disease death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and fatal or nonfatal stroke); throughout the subsequent 8-week open-label period, there were 31 primary events. This equated to monthly Kaplan-Meier event rates of 0.20% during washout and 0.26% in the open-label phase. Event rates were therefore similar during the 2 phases. Conclusions— The present analysis demonstrates that short-term discontinuation of statin therapy in stable cardiac patients apparently does not lead to a clinically important increased risk of acute coronary syndromes.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0009-7322
,
1524-4539
DOI:
10.1161/01.CIR.0000145118.55201.15
Language:
English
Publisher:
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Publication Date:
2004
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1466401-X
