title: Large-scale cohort study on the relationship between serum lipid concentrations and risk of cerebrovascular disease under low-dose simvastatin in Japanese patients with hypercholesterolemia: sub-analysis of the Japan Lipid Intervention Trial (J-LIT).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Japan Lipid Intervention Trial was a nationwide cohort study of 52,421 hypercholesterolemic patients treated with open-labeled simvastatin for 6 years under standard clinical practices. Cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of death in Japan, but the effect of hypercholesterolemia on CVD has not been well established in Japanese patients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the risk of CVD and serum lipid concentrations during treatment in Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients were treated with 5-10 mg/day of simvastatin and all, including those who discontinued simvastatin for any reason, had their lipid concentrations and incidence of CVD monitored for 6 years. Data of 41,088 patients were analyzed in this study, excluding those who had a history of coronary heart disease or CVD. The risk of cerebral infarction was higher in patients whose mean total cholesterol concentrations during treatment were > or = 240 mg/dl, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations > or = 160 mg/dl, triglycerides > or = 150 mg/dl and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations <40 mg/dl. There was no obvious correlation between cerebral hemorrhage and serum lipid concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvement of serum lipid concentrations is important for reducing the incidence of cerebral infarction.
authors.affiliation: Nakaya Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakaya
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mabuchi
authors.forename: Masunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oikawa
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimamoto
authors.forename: Hiroshige
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itakura
mesh_terms: D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol; D019821:Simvastatin