title: Predicting risk reduction of coronary disease in patients who are glucose intolerant: a comparison of treatment with fenofibrate and other lipid-modifying agents.
abstract: A clinical outcomes model was developed to estimate the ability of fibrates and statins to reduce the relative and absolute risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with diabetes. A database was constructed, drawing on results from 83 applicable published studies. Risk factor outcomes reported by the model were chosen according to those found to be statistically significant in the data set parameters from the Framingham Heart Study. In the analysis, fenofibrate was compared with gemfibrozil (an earlier fibrate) and six 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase-inhibitor or "statin" agents. Among the agents studied, only fenofibrate was found to significantly affect all six cardiovascular disease risk factors used in this analysis. For men with diabetes, the estimated absolute risk of developing CHD after five years of treatment was lowered equally and most effectively by fenofibrate, simvastatin, and atorvastatin, from 10% to 6%. For women with diabetes, fenofibrate and simvastatin reduced absolute risk from 9% to 6% over five years of treatment, while atorvastatin reduced risk from 9% to 6%. An accompanying cost comparison analysis found that reducing absolute risk of CHD in these patients would result in significant reductions in the medical expense of treating cardiac events, and that significant differences in the amount saved were driven by treatment choice. Fenofibrate, simvastatin, and atorvastatin produced the greatest long-term savings.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Haffner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashraf
mesh_terms: D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017046:Cost Savings; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D011345:Fenofibrate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D011345:Fenofibrate