title: A multicentre, open study to assess the effect of individualizing starting doses of atorvastatin according to baseline LDL-C levels on achieving cholesterol targets: the Achieve Cholesterol Targets Fast with Atorvastatin Stratified Titration (ACTFAST-2) study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  ACTFAST-2 was designed to match the starting dose of a statin to the baseline low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) value, to allow high-risk European subjects to achieve LDL-C targets within 12 weeks with the initial dose or one up-titration.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a 12-week, prospective, open-label trial that enrolled 610 high-risk subjects from 8 European countries. Subjects with LDL-C > 2.6 mmol/L (> 100 mg/dL), but < or = 5.7 mmol/L (< or = 220 mg/dL) were assigned a starting dose of atorvastatin (10, 20, 40, 80 mg/day) according to LDL-C level and status of statin use at baseline (either statin-free or statin-treated), with a single up-titration at 6 weeks if needed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 12 weeks, 68.0% of subjects overall, including 73.5% of statin-free and 60.5% of statin-treated subjects, achieved LDL-C target (< 2.6 mmol/L (< 100 mg/dL). The total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) ratio target was achieved by 75.2% of subjects overall, including 78.1% of statin-free and 71.2% of statin-treated subjects. In the statin-free group, LDL-C decreased by a mean of 42%. In the statin-treated group, atorvastatin led to an additional 31% reduction in LDL-C over the statin used at baseline. Mean decreases in TC/HDL-C ratio were 30% and 20% in the statin-free and statin-treated groups, respectively. The incidence of AST/ALT greater than 3 times of upper limit of normal range in all patients was 0.8% and no rhabdomyolysis was reported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that use of a flexible starting dose of atorvastatin allows the large majority of high-risk subjects to achieve their LDL-C target safely within 12 weeks with an initial dose or just a single up-titration.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary. farsang@bell.sote.hu <farsang@bell.sote.hu>
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Farsang
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Athyros
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaw
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin