A new analysis from the JUPITER (Justification for the use of statins in primary prevention: an intervention trial evaluating rosuvastatin) study shows that Crestor (rosuvastatin, AstraZeneca) 20mg significantly cut the risk of venous thromboembolism by 43% (p=.007) compared to placebo among men and women with low to normal cholesterol levels and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).
This analysis was presented Saturday (28 March, 2009) at the 58th Annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions (ACC), in Orlando, USA, and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Additional results of this secondary endpoint analysis of JUPITER showed rosuvastatin 20mg produced a significant 55% (p=.004) reduction in the risk of deep vein thrombosis and a non-significant 23% reduction in pulmonary embolism (p=.42).
Rosuvastatin 20mg was well tolerated in nearly 9,000 patients during the course of the JUPITER study.
Results from the primary analysis of JUPITER, originally presented in November 2008 at the American Heart Association’s Annual Scientific Sessions, and published by the New England Journal of Medicine, showed rosuvastatin 20mg significantly reduced major cardiovascular events (combined risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, arterial revascularisation, hospitalisation for unstable angina, or death from cardiovascular causes) by 44%, compared to placebo (p<.00001). These results also showed that rosuvastatin 20mg reduced the combined risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death by nearly half (47%, p<.00001 vs. placebo).
JUPITER was a long-term, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, large-scale study of 17,802 patients designed to determine if rosuvastatin 20mg decreases the risk of heart attack, stroke and other major cardiovascular events in patients with low to normal LDL-C but at increased cardiovascular risk as identified by age and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP). The majority of patients had at least one other risk factor including hypertension, low HDL-C, family history of premature coronary heart disease or smoking.
