Among patients taking statins, levels of non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non–HDL-C) were more strongly associated with a risk of future major cardiovascular events than were levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or of apolipoprotein B (apoB), according to research published in the March 28 issue of JAMA.
The hazard ratio (HR) per 1-SD increase in non–HDL-C was 1.16, compared with a 1.14 HR per 1-SD increase in apoB and a 1.13 HR per 1-SD increase in LDL-C. In addition, changes in non–HDL-C levels explained 64% of the effect of statin treatment. The researchers found no difference between the proportions of treatment effect that changes in LDL-C and apoB levels explained (ie, 50% and 54%, respectively).
A Meta-Analysis of Eight Statin Trials S. Matthijs Boekholdt, MD, a cardiologist at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam, and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of data from eight randomized controlled statin trials. Each trial assigned patients in at least one of the study groups to statin therapy.
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