Effect of rosuvastatin on coronary atheroma in stable coronary artery disease: multicenter coronary atherosclerosis study measuring effects of rosuvastatin using intravascular ultrasound in Japanese subjects (COSMOS).
BACKGROUND
It has been suggested that intensive lipid-lowering therapy using statins significantly decreases atheromatous plaque volume. The effect of rosuvastatin on plaque volume in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), including those receiving prior lipid-lowering therapy, was examined in the present study.


RESULTS
A 76-week open-label trial was performed at 37 centers in Japan. Eligible patients began treatment with rosuvastatin 2.5 mg/day, which could be increased at 4-week intervals to <or=20 mg/day. A total of 214 patients underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) at baseline; 126 patients had analyzable IVUS images at the end of the study. The change in the serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol level from baseline to end of follow-up was -38.6 +/-16.9%, whereas that of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was +19.8 +/-22.9% (both P<0.0001). Percent change of plaque volume, the primary endpoint, was -5.1 +/-14.1% (P<0.0001).


CONCLUSIONS
Rosuvastatin exerted significant regression of coronary plaque volume in Japanese patients with stable CAD, including those who had previously used other lipid-lowering drugs. Rosuvastatin might be useful in the setting of secondary prevention in patients with stable CAD.
Division of Cardiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Tadateru
T
Takayama
Takafumi
T
Hiro
Masakazu
M
Yamagishi
Hiroyuki
H
Daida
Atsushi
A
Hirayama
Satoshi
S
Saito
Tetsu
T
Yamaguchi
Masunori
M
Matsuzaki
D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium