title: Lipoprotein and apolipoprotein ratios in the VYTAL trial of ezetimibe/simvastatin compared with atorvastatin in type 2 diabetes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with a high risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). A variety of lipoprotein and apolipoprotein (Apo) ratios have been proposed that may reflect the balance of cholesterol delivery and removal at the arterial wall and provide an assessment of CHD risk that is supplemental to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), the primary guide for cholesterol-lowering therapy in patients at risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine changes in lipoprotein and apolipoprotein ratios in the VYTAL trial of hypercholesterolemic patients with T2DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Changes in the ratios LDL-C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C, non-HDL-C/HDL-C, and ApoB/ApoA-I were assessed in this randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study that enrolled T2DM patients with LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL for 6-week treatments with either the usual daily starting doses of atorvastatin (ATORVA) 10 or 20 mg or ezetimibe/simvastatin (EZE/SIMVA) 10/20 mg, or the next highest doses (ATORVA 40 mg, EZE/SIMVA 10/40 mg). Changes in lipoprotein and apolipoprotein ratios, prespecified exploratory endpoints, were analyzed using analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Efficacy results were based on 1198 patients with sufficient data among 1229 randomized patients. Baseline lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, and ratios were comparable among treatment groups. EZE/SIMVA produced significantly greater reductions compared with ATORVA in each lipoprotein or apolipoprotein ratio at each dose comparison (P < 0.001). For example, reductions from baseline in TC/HDL-C were ATORVA 10 mg, -30.2%; ATORVA 20 mg -34.9%; EZE/SIMVA 10/20 mg, -41.6%; ATORVA 40 mg, -37.9%; and EZE/SIMVA 10/40 mg, -43.5%. Tolerability of the two treatments was similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the doses assessed, EZE/SIMVA was more effective compared with ATORVA in lowering the lipoprotein and apolipoprotein ratios that might be considered secondary measures of CHD risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Nutrition, Box 3510, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guyton
authors.forename: Ronald B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mazzone
authors.forename: Ruth S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weinstock
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polis
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tershakovec