The Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease (LIPID)
N Engl J Med 1998;339:1349-1357.
The LIPID trial was a study designed to see if treatment with pravastatin (Pravachol) in people with a history of heart attack or hospitalization for unstable angina (unstable chest pain from heart disease) and a cholesterol of 155 mg/dL to 271 mg/dL (average = 218 mg/dL) would reduce heart attack deaths over a period of 5 years. The study enrolled 9,014 men and women (average age, 62 years) who were given either pravastatin (Pravachol) 40 mg/day or placebo. Patients in both groups were treated aggressively with blood pressure medicine and aspirin.
Compared with the placebo group, the pravastatin-treated patients demonstrated the following lipid changes:
Total Cholesterol reduced 18%
LDL (bad lipid) reduced 25%
HDL (good lipid) increased 5%
Triglycerides decreased 11%
A 24% reduction in heart attack deaths was observed, as was a 24% reduction in nonfatal heart attacks, and a 22% decrease in deaths from any cause. In addition, the incidence of stroke fell 19%.
The LIPID study showed benefits from statin medicine for older people, women & men, diabetics & non-diabetics.
LIPID: Improving lipid levels in people with heart disease and average cholesterol levels.
