Prevention of coronary artery disease in men with hypercholesterolemia

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 154: 1533-1534

Source: Shepherd J, Cobbe SM, Ford I et al, for the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group: Prevention of coronary heart disease with pravastatin in men with hypercholesterolemia. N Engl J Med 1995; 333: 1301-1307

Researchers in Scotland investigated the efficacy of the lipid-lowering drug pravastatin in reducing the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). A sample of 6595 middle-aged men with moderate hypercholesterolemia and no history of heart disease were randomly assigned treatment with either pravastatin (40 mg/d) or a placebo for an average of 4.9 years. Compared with the placebo group, the pravastatin group showed significant and substantial reductions in the risk of the combined end point of nonfatal myocardial infarction and death from CAD, the risk of death from all cardiovascular causes and the risk of death from all causes. The frequency of coronary angiography and of vascularization procedures was also significantly reduced in the pravastatin group. These results were not affected by age, smoking status or stratification of patients according to plasma lipid levels. There were no significant differences between the groups in the incidence of other adverse events.

CMAJ May 15, 1996 (vol 154, no 10)