THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Rosuvastatin may help more managed care patients lower their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) than either atorvastatin or simvastatin, and may reduce the need for follow-up titration visits, researchers report in the May issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
William Insull, Jr., M.D., from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and members of the SOLAR study group randomized 1,632 patients at high risk for coronary heart disease to starting doses of either rosuvastatin (10 mg), atorvastatin (10 mg) or simvastatin (20 mg) daily for six weeks. If patients did not achieve LDL-C levels of 100 mg/dL or less, their dose was doubled and all patients were followed for an additional six weeks.
At six weeks, 65 percent of the rosuvastatin group achieved LDL-C target levels compared with 41 percent in the atorvastatin group and 39 percent in the simvastatin group. At 12 weeks, the results were 76 percent, 58 percent and 53 percent, respectively. Reductions in total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and non-HDL-C/HDL ratio were greater for the rosuvastatin group. Adverse events were similar for all groups.
These results "add fuel to the fires created by the 'Statin Wars,'" Carl Lavie, M.D., of Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, and colleagues write in an editorial. "Let these wars continue since this heated competition will likely improve overall clinical efficacy and safety of the various available therapies, which will promote better protection against coronary artery disease, stroke, and hopefully overall mortality."
Some of the authors have received support or compensation from AstraZeneca and other pharmaceutical companies. Two authors are employees of AstraZeneca.
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