title: Atorvastatin: a review of its use in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Atorvastatin (Lipitor) is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor with well documented lipid-lowering effects. It has recently been evaluated for the primary prevention of major cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without elevated serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels. Atorvastatin 10mg daily for 4 years was effective at reducing the risk of a first major cardiovascular event, including stroke, in a large, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial in patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one other coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor, but without markedly elevated LDL-cholesterol levels. In this trial, known as CARDS (the Collaborative AtoRvastatin Diabetes Study), atorvastatin had a similar tolerability profile to that of placebo. Thus, atorvastatin has a potential role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients at risk of CHD, irrespective of pre-treatment LDL-cholesterol levels.
authors.affiliation: Adis International Limited, Auckland, New Zealand. demail@adis.co.nz
authors.forename: Katherine F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Croom
authors.forename: Greg L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Plosker
mesh_terms: D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000639:trends; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin