Subgroup analyses showed the benefit of fibrates on the primary composite outcome to be consistent irrespective of age , gender , and diabetes mellitus .
Moderate evidence showed that the fibrate class can be effective in the secondary prevention of composite outcome of non-fatal stroke , non-fatal MI , and vascular death .
However , this beneficial effect relies on the inclusion of clofibrate data , a drug that was discontinued in 2002 due to its unacceptably large adverse effects .
BACKGROUND Fibrates are a class of drugs characterised by mainly lowering high triglyceride , raising high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol , and lowering the small dense fraction of low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol .
Their efficacy for secondary prevention of serious vascular events is unclear , and to date no systematic review focusing on secondary prevention has been undertaken .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and safety of fibrates for the prevention of serious vascular events in people with previous cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) , including coronary heart disease and stroke .
Helsinki Heart Study: primary-prevention trial with gemfibrozil in middle-aged men with dyslipidemia. Safety of treatment, changes in risk factors, and incidence of coronary heart disease.
In a r and omized , double-blind five-year trial , we tested the efficacy of simultaneously elevating serum levels of high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol and lowering levels of non-HDL cholesterol with gemfibrozil in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease in 4081 asymptomatic middle-aged men ( 40 to 55 years of age ) with primary dyslipidemia ( non-HDL cholesterol greater than or equal to 200 mg per deciliter [ 5.2 mmol per liter ] in two consecutive pretreatment measurements ) . One group ( 2051 men ) received 600 mg of gemfibrozil twice daily , and the other ( 2030 men ) received placebo . Gemfibrozil caused a marked increase in HDL cholesterol and persistent reductions in serum levels of total , low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) , and non-HDL cholesterol and triglycerides . There were minimal changes in serum lipid levels in the placebo group . The cumulative rate of cardiac end points at five years was 27.3 per 1,000 in the gemfibrozil group and 41.4 per 1,000 in the placebo group -- a reduction of 34.0 percent in the incidence of coronary heart disease ( 95 percent confidence interval , 8.2 to 52.6 ; P less than 0.02 ; two-tailed test ) . The decline in incidence in the gemfibrozil group became evident in the second year and continued throughout the study . There was no difference between the groups in the total death rate , nor did the treatment influence the cancer rates . The results are in accord with two previous trials with different pharmacologic agents and indicate that modification of lipoprotein levels with gemfibrozil reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease in men with dyslipidemia
Subgroup analyses showed the benefit of fibrates on the primary composite outcome to be consistent irrespective of age , gender , and diabetes mellitus .
Moderate evidence showed that the fibrate class can be effective in the secondary prevention of composite outcome of non-fatal stroke , non-fatal MI , and vascular death .
However , this beneficial effect relies on the inclusion of clofibrate data , a drug that was discontinued in 2002 due to its unacceptably large adverse effects .
BACKGROUND Fibrates are a class of drugs characterised by mainly lowering high triglyceride , raising high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol , and lowering the small dense fraction of low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol .
Their efficacy for secondary prevention of serious vascular events is unclear , and to date no systematic review focusing on secondary prevention has been undertaken .
OBJECTIVES To assess the efficacy and safety of fibrates for the prevention of serious vascular events in people with previous cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) , including coronary heart disease and stroke .