Lipid-lowering therapy is effective in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in people with PAD .
It may also improve local symptoms .
Until further evidence on the relative effectiveness of different lipid-lowering agents is available , use of a statin in people with PAD and a blood cholesterol level > /=3.5 mmol/litre is most indicated
BACKGROUND Lipid-lowering therapy is recommended for secondary prevention in people with coronary artery disease .
It may also reduce cardiovascular events and /or local disease progression in people with lower limb peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on all-cause mortality , cardiovascular events and local disease progression in patients with PAD of the lower limb .
Treating patients with documented atherosclerosis to National Cholesterol Education Program-recommended low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol goals with atorvastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin and simvastatin.
OBJECTIVES This study compared the efficacy and safety of atorvastatin , fluvastatin , lovastatin , and simvastatin in patients with documented atherosclerosis treated to U.S. National Cholesterol Education Program ( NCEP ) recommended low-density-lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol concentration ( < or = 100 mg/dl [ 2.59 mmol/liter ] ) . BACKGROUND For patients with advanced atherosclerosis , NCEP recommends lipid-lowering drug therapy if LDL cholesterol remains > or = 130 mg/dl ( 3.36 mmol/liter ) . METHODS A total of 318 men or women with documented atherosclerosis and LDL cholesterol > or = 130 mg/dl ( 3.36 mmol/liter ) and < or = 250 mg/dl ( 6.5 mmol/liter ) , and triglycerides < or = 400 mg/dl ( 4.5 mmol/liter ) participated in this 54-week , multicenter , open-label , r and omized , parallel-group , active-controlled , treat-to-target study . Patients were titrated at 12-week intervals until the LDL cholesterol goal was reached . Number of patients reaching target LDL cholesterol levels and dose to reach target were evaluated . RESULTS At the starting doses , atorvastatin 10 mg produced significantly greater decreases ( p < 0.05 ) in plasma LDL cholesterol than the other treatments . Subsequently , the percentage of patients reaching goal at the starting dose was 32 % for atorvastatin , 1 % for fluvastatin , 10 % for lovastatin and 22 % for simvastatin . Atorvastatin-treated patients required a lower median dose than other treatments . Median doses at week 54 with the last available visit carried forward were atorvastatin 20 mg/day , fluvastatin 40 mg/day + colestipol 20 g/day , lovastatin 80 mg/day , simvastatin 40 mg/day . CONCLUSIONS A significantly greater number ( p < 0.05 ) of patients with confirmed atherosclerosis treated with atorvastatin reached the target LDL cholesterol concentration at the starting dose than patients treated with fluvastatin or lovastatin , and significantly fewer ( p < 0.05 ) patients treated with atorvastatin required combination therapy with colestipol to achieve target LDL cholesterol concentrations than all other statins tested
Lipid-lowering therapy is effective in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in people with PAD .
It may also improve local symptoms .
Until further evidence on the relative effectiveness of different lipid-lowering agents is available , use of a statin in people with PAD and a blood cholesterol level > /=3.5 mmol/litre is most indicated
BACKGROUND Lipid-lowering therapy is recommended for secondary prevention in people with coronary artery disease .
It may also reduce cardiovascular events and /or local disease progression in people with lower limb peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of lipid-lowering therapy on all-cause mortality , cardiovascular events and local disease progression in patients with PAD of the lower limb .