Atorvastatin: A Review of its Use in the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Authors: Croom, Katherine F.¹; Plosker, Greg L.¹

Source: Drugs, Volume 65, Number 1, 2005 , pp. 137-152(16)

Publisher: Adis International

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Abstract:

Atorvastatin (Lipitor^®) is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor with well documented lipid-lowering effects. It has recently been evaluated for the primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without elevated serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels.

Atorvastatin 10mg daily for 4 years was effective at reducing the risk of a first major cardiovascular event, including stroke, in a large, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one other coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor, but without markedly elevated LDL-cholesterol levels. In this trial, known as CARDS (the Collaborative AtoRvastatin Diabetes Study), atorvastatin had a similar tolerability profile to that of placebo. Thus, atorvastatin has a potential role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients at risk of CHD, irrespective of pre-treatment LDL-cholesterol levels.

Keywords: Adis Drug Evaluations; Atorvastatin; Cardiovascular disorders; Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Adis International Limited, Auckland, New Zealand

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