A randomized trial of aggressive lipid reduction for improvement of myocardial ischemia, symptom status, and vascular function in patients with coronary artery disease not amenable to intervention.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of aggressive lipid lowering on markers of ischemia, resistance vessel function, atherosclerotic burden, and symptom status in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease.


METHODS
Sixty consecutive patients with coronary artery disease that was unsuitable for revascularization were assigned randomly to either usual therapy of lipids for patients with a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol target level <116 mg/dL, or to a more aggressive lipid-lowering strategy involving up to 80 mg/d of atorvastatin, with a target LDL cholesterol level <77 mg/dL. The extent and severity of inducible ischemia (by dobutamine echocardiography), vascular function (brachial artery reactivity), atheroma burden (carotid intima-media thickness), and symptom status were evaluated blindly at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment.


RESULTS
After 12 weeks of treatment, patients in the aggressive therapy group had a significantly greater decrease in mean (+/- SD) LDL cholesterol level than those in the usual care group (29 +/- 38 mg/dL vs. 7 +/- 24 mg/dL, P = 0.03). Patients in the aggressive therapy group had a reduction in the number of ischemic wall segments (mean between-group difference of 1.3; 95% confidence interval: 0.1 to 2.0; P = 0.04), flow-mediated dilatation (mean between-group difference of 5.9%; 95% confidence interval: 2.5% to 9.4%; P = 0.001), and angina score after 12 weeks. There were no significant changes in atherosclerotic burden in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease who are treated with aggressive lipid lowering have improvement of symptom status and ischemia that appears to reflect improved vascular function but not atheroma burden.
Department of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Robert
R
Fathi
Brian
B
Haluska
Leanne
L
Short
Thomas H
TH
Marwick
D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000188:drug therapy; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000502:physiology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D023921:Coronary Stenosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin