Conclusions : CETP inhibitors are not associated with an increased risk of MACE or all-cause mortality .
There is a trend towards small reductions in nonfatal MI and cardiovascular death , though the clinical importance of such reductions is likely modest
Background : Cholesteryl ester transfer protein ( CETP ) inhibitors increase serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-c ) concentration ; however , their impact on cardiovascular outcomes is not clear .
This systematic review examines the effect of CETP inhibitors on serum lipid profiles , cardiovascular events , and all-cause mortality .
Vascular effects and safety of dalcetrapib in patients with or at risk of coronary heart disease: the dal-VESSEL randomized clinical trial.
AIMS High-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) is inversely associated with cardiovascular ( CV ) events and thus an attractive therapeutic target . However , in spite of marked elevations in HDL-C , the first cholesterol transport protein ( CETP ) inhibitor torcetrapib raised blood pressure ( BP ) , impaired endothelial function , and increased CV mortality and morbidity . Dalcetrapib is a novel molecule acting on CETP with a different chemical structure to torcetrapib . As HDL stimulates nitric oxide ( NO ) , suppresses inflammation , and exerts protective CV effects , we investigated the effects of dalcetrapib on endothelial function , blood pressure , inflammatory markers , and lipids in patients with , or at risk of , coronary heart disease ( CHD ) in a double-blind r and omized placebo-controlled trial ( clinical trials.gov number NCT00655538 ) . METHODS AND RESULTS Patients with target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) levels received dalcetrapib 600 mg/day or placebo for 36 weeks on top of st and ard therapy ( including statins ) . The primary outcome measures were the change from baseline of flow-mediated dilatation ( % FMD ) of the right brachial artery after 5 min of cuff occlusion at 12 weeks and the 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring ( ABPM ) at week 4 . Secondary outcomes included change from baseline in FMD after 36 weeks and the change in ABPM at 12 and 36 weeks , changes in HDL-C , LDL-C , triglycerides , CETP activity , as well as st and ard safety parameters . Four hundred seventy-six patients were r and omized . Baseline FMD was 4.1 ± 2.2 and 4.0 ± 2.4 % with placebo or dalcetrapib , respectively and did not change significantly from placebo after 12 and 36 weeks ( P = 0.1764 and 0.9515 , respectively ) . After 4 , 24 , and 36 weeks of treatment with dalcetrapib , CETP activity decreased by 51 , 53 , and 56 % ( placebo corrected , all P < 0.0001 ) , while at weeks 4 , 12 , and 36 HDL-C increased by 25 , 27 , and 31 % ( placebo corrected , all P < 0.0001 ) . Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels did not change . At baseline , ABPM was 125 ± 12/74 ± 8mmHg in the placebo and 128 ± 11/75 ± 7mmHg in the dalcetrapib group ( P = 0.3372 and 0.1248 , respectively , placebo-corrected change from baseline ) and did not change for up to 36 weeks . Biomarkers of inflammation , oxidative stress , and coagulation did not change during follow-up except for Lp-PLA(2 ) mass levels which increased by 17 % ( placebo corrected ) . Overall 7 patients given dalcetrapib and 8 patients given placebo experienced at least one pre-specified adjudicated event ( 11 events with dalcetrapib and 12 events with placebo ) . CONCLUSION The dal-VESSEL trial has established the tolerability and safety of CETP-inhibition with dalcetrapib in patients with or at risk of CHD . Dalcetrapib reduced CETP activity and increased HDL-C levels without affecting NO-dependent endothelial function , blood pressure , or markers of inflammation and oxidative stress . The dal- OUTCOMES trial ( NCT00658515 ) will show whether dalcetrapib improves outcomes in spite of a lack of effect on endothelial function
Conclusions : CETP inhibitors are not associated with an increased risk of MACE or all-cause mortality .
There is a trend towards small reductions in nonfatal MI and cardiovascular death , though the clinical importance of such reductions is likely modest
Background : Cholesteryl ester transfer protein ( CETP ) inhibitors increase serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-c ) concentration ; however , their impact on cardiovascular outcomes is not clear .
This systematic review examines the effect of CETP inhibitors on serum lipid profiles , cardiovascular events , and all-cause mortality .