Abstract
This 1-year, double-blind, active-controlled, multicenter study compared the efficacy
and safety of atorvastatin to pravastatin and evaluated their ability to achieve target
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Patients were stratified to risk factor groups based upon European Atherosclerosis
Society (EAS) guidelines before randomization to atorvastatin 10 or 20 mg or pravastatin
20 or 40 mg once daily. Target LDL-C levels for patients with mild/moderate risk and
severe risk were <130 mg/dl (3.4 mmol/l) and <115 mg/dl (3.0 mmol/l), respectively.
If needed to achieve target levels both drugs were uptitrated within the approved
dose range. Mean changes from LDL-C levels were 39% for atorvastatin patients compared
to 29% for pravastatin-treated patients (p<0.0001). The number of patient responders (those reaching LDL-C goals) was higher
(p<0.0001) for atorvastatin patients (91% at any study visit and 51% at the last study
visit) than for pravastatin patients (48% and 20%, respectively). The daily atorvastatin
dose used by most patients after the titration phase was 10 mg and the respective
pravastatin dose was 40 mg. Both drugs were well-tolerated and had similar adverse
event profiles. Atorvastatin, in the approved dose range, will allow a greater number
of patients to reach established LDL-C treatment goals with single drug therapy.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 2,
1999
Received in revised form:
January 29,
1999
Received:
January 21,
1999
Identification
Copyright
© 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
