Serum levels of C-reactive protein in patients with stable coronary artery disease: JUPITER in perspective.
BACKGROUND
The JUPITER trial has recently demonstrated an outstanding reduction of cardiovascular events by 20 mg rosuvastatin/day in subjects with high CRP who were apparently healthy at baseline. However, absence of atherosclerosis in JUPITER was based on the subjects' history and not proven objectively.


METHODS
To put the results of JUPITER in perspective, we evaluated serum CRP in a consecutive series of 703 statin-naïve Caucasian patients with angiographically proven stable CAD.


RESULTS
From these stable CAD patients, only 69.2% met the ≥2.0 mg/l serum CRP inclusion criterion of the JUPITER trial. Median CRP [interquartile range] in our CAD patients was 3.3 [1.6-6.6] mg/l, which was significantly (p<0.001) lower than the median CRP in JUPITER (4.2 mg/l).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results point to considerable subclinical atherosclerosis in the patients studied in JUPITER. The impressive results of that trial may not be generalizable to healthy populations all over the world.
Saely
Christoph H
CH
Rein
Philipp
P
Vonbank
Alexander
A
Drexel
Heinz
H
D000368:Aged; D050197:Atherosclerosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015415:Biomarkers; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D002097:C-Reactive Protein