Rosuvastatin in the prevention of stroke among men and women with elevated levels of C-reactive protein: justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER).
BACKGROUND
Prior primary prevention trials of statin therapy that used cholesterol criteria for enrollment have not reported significant decreases in stroke risk. We evaluated whether statin therapy might reduce stroke rates among individuals with low levels of cholesterol but elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.


RESULTS
In Justification for the Use of statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER), 17 802 apparently healthy men and women with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <130 mg/dL and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels > or = 2.0 mg/L were randomly allocated to rosuvastatin 20 mg daily or placebo and then followed up for the occurrence of a first stroke. After a median follow-up of 1.9 years (maximum, 5.0 years), rosuvastatin resulted in a 48% reduction in the hazard of fatal and nonfatal stroke as compared with placebo (incidence rate, 0.18 and 0.34 per 100 person-years of observation, respectively; hazard ratio 0.52; 95% confidence interval, 0.34 to 0.79; P=0.002), a finding that was consistent across all examined subgroups. This finding was due to a 51% reduction in the rate of ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.30 to 0.81; P=0.004), with no difference in the rates of hemorrhagic stroke between the active and placebo arms (hazard ratio, 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.24 to 1.88; P=0.44).


CONCLUSIONS
Rosuvastatin reduces by more than half the incidence of ischemic stroke among men and women with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels who are at risk because of elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.


BACKGROUND
clinicaltrial.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00239681.
Everett
Brendan M
BM
Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA. beverett@partners.org
Glynn
Robert J
RJ
MacFadyen
Jean G
JG
Ridker
Paul M
PM
D000368:Aged; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010919:Placebos; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010919:Placebos; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D002097:C-Reactive Protein