title: [Clinical study of the month. Usefulness of increasing HDL cholesterol in secondary prevention of coronary heart disease: results of the VA-HIT study].
abstract: The "Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Intervention Trial" (VA-HIT) is a large randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. It demonstrates that a fibrate treatment (gemfibrozil) significantly reduces the relative risk of major coronary (-22%, p = 0.006) and cardiovascular (-24%, p < 0.001) events in men with coronary heart disease whose primary lipid abnormality is a low HDL cholesterol level. These findings suggest that, in such a population, the rate of coronary events is reduced under gemfibrozil therapy by raising HDL cholesterol levels (+6%) and lowering levels of triglycerides (-31%) without lowering LDL cholesterol concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Département de Médecine, Université de Liège.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Scheen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015248:Gemfibrozil / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D015248:Gemfibrozil
vernacular_title: L'étude clinique du mois. Intérêt d'augmenter un taux de cholestérol HDL bas en prévention secondaire de la coronaropathie: résultats de l'étude VA-HIT.