LipitorCare News » April 07

Atorvastatin Calcium Pills to Reduce MI risk
24 Apr, 2007

Recently, Health Canada has given nod for an expanded indication for Atorvastatin calcium for its use in reducing the risk for myocardial infarction in adult patients without clinically evident coronary heart disease, but having risk factors for the prior myocardial infarction.

The nod that the Health Canada gave was based in part on data from the Treating to New Targets. This study assessed the impact of 80mg of Atorvastatin in reducing cardiovascular events on 10,001 patients with clinically evident CHD.

During the assessment, patients were given 10 mg astorvastain a day for 8 weeks and it reduced their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level from 152 to 98 mg/dL.

These patients were randomly picked to carry on with 10 mg of astorvastain a day or to receive 80 mg/day for a median duration of 4.9 years and it was found that those in the high- Vs the low-dose group had a significantly lower mean LDL cholesterol level (77 vs 101 mg/dL).

The study also revealed that the time of first occurrence of major CV events was greatly reduced in patients receiving atorvastatin 80 than 10 mg/day reflecting a 2.2 percent absolute risk reduction and 22 percent relative risk reduction. The overall risk reduction didn't affect by age or sex.

Atorvastatin was earlier approved in Canada for adjunctive use with diet and lifestyle measures to treat certain dyslipidemias and to reduce the risk for MI in adult hypertensive patients without clinically evident CHD.