title: Effect of intensive lipid-lowering therapy with rosuvastatin on progression of carotid intima-media thickness in Japanese patients: Justification for Atherosclerosis Regression Treatment (JART) study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A recent trial in Western countries has shown that rosuvastatin slows progression of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with modest carotid IMT thickening and elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded-endpoint trial to determine whether rosuvastatin is more effective than pravastatin in slowing progression of carotid IMT in Japanese patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adult patients with hypercholesterolemia who had a maximum IMT ≥1.1mm were randomly assigned to receive rosuvastatin or pravastatin. The primary endpoint was the percent change in the mean-IMT, which was measured by a single observer who was blinded to the treatment assignments. The trial was stopped on April 2011 according to the recommendation by the data and safety monitoring committee. A total of 348 patients (173 rosuvastatin; 175 pravastatin) were enrolled and 314 (159 rosuvastatin; 155 pravastatin) were included in the primary analysis. Mean (SD) percentage changes in the mean-IMT at 12 months were 1.91% (10.9) in the rosuvastatin group and 5.8% (12.0) in the pravastatin group, with a difference of 3.89% (11.5) between the groups (P=0.004). At 12 months, 85 patients (59.4%) in the rosuvastatin group achieved a LDL-C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio ≤1.5 compared with 24 patients (16.4%) in the pravastatin group (P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rosuvastatin significantly slowed progression of carotid IMT at 12 months compared with pravastatin.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Kitano Hospital, The Tazuke Kofukai Medical Research Institute, Osaka, Japan. noharar@kitano-hp.or.jp
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nohara
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daida
authors.forename: Mitsumasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaku
authors.forename: Ryuzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawamori
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kishimoto
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurabayashi
authors.forename: Izuru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakuma
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokoi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D017035:Pravastatin