EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ATORVASTATIN COMPA RED TO PRAVASTATIN IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Plasma cholesterol and other lipoproteins play a significant role in t he development of atherosclerosis and subsequent coronary heart diseas e (CHD), This one year study was designed to confirm the efficacy and safety of atorvastatin compared to pravastatin, a marketed agent for l ow density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction in hypercholester olemic patients, Patients were recruited at 26 centers in six European countries, After a 6 week placebo baseline phase, patients were rando mized to receive atorvastatin 10 mg or pravastatin 20 mg daily. The do se could be doubled at week 16, if LDL-C levels remained greater than or equal to 3.4mmol/l (135 mg/dl). Atorvastatin significantly lowered LDL-C from baseline by 35% compared with 23% for pravastatin (p < 0.05 ). A total of 72% of atorvastatin patients attained the LDL-C target l evel of <3.4 mmol/l, compared to 26% of pravastatin patients. Atorvast atin also significantly reduced TC, TG and apo B (p < 0.05). Safety wa s assessed by recording adverse events and measuring clinical laborato ry parameters. The adverse event profile was similar for both treatmen t groups and neither treatment caused clinically relevant laboratory a bnormalities. Atorvastatin 10 and 20 mg once daily is superior to prav astatin 20 and 40 mg once daily in treating patients with hypercholest erolemia.