Clinical study of the month. The LIPID study: "long-term intervention with pravastatin in ischaemic disease"
Scheen, A.J.
Revue medicale de Liege 54(1): 2-3
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0370-629X PMID: 10081301 Document Number: 510351
The LIPID study is a placebo-controlled, double-bind, randomized trial, performed in 9014 patients with coronary heart disease and total cholesterol levels of 155 to 271 mg/dl. After a mean follow-up of 6.1 years, patients receiving pravastatin (40 mg/day) had significantly (p < 0.001) lower death rate from coronary heart disease (24%), lower overall mortality (22%) and lower incidence of all cardiovascular outcomes (20 to 29% depending on the event). Interestingly enough, the reduction in death from coronary heart disease or nonfatal myocardial infarction was observed whatever the initial cholesterol concentration, and already significant if total cholesterol was < 213 mg/dl and LDL cholesterol was < 135 mg/dl. Thus, in secondary prevention, the favourable effect of the statin on the coronary heart disease outcomes is observed even in case of initial cholesterol levels yet considered as "normal".