West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS)
WOSCOPS (West of Scotland)
Shepherd J et al. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:1301-1307. (pdf file)
WOSCOPS is a large-scale, primary-prevention trial demonstrating significant decreases in the risk for cardiovascular disease in people with high cholesterol who undergo lipid-lowering therapy to reduce LDL (bad lipid). This study involved 6,595 men from ages 45 to 64 years who were given either pravastatin (Pravachol) 40 mg/day or placebo. The people enrolled in this clinical trial had no history of cardiovascular disease but had total cholesterol levels between 249-295 mg/dL.
Treatment with pravastatin produced the following changes in lipid levels:
Total Cholestero reduced 20%
LDL (bad lipid) reduced 26%
HDL (good lipid) increased 5%
At an average follow-up of 4.9 years, treatment with pravastatin resulted in a 31% reduction in non-fatal heart attacks, a 33% reduction in deaths from heart attacks, and a 22% reduction in deaths from any cause.
West of Scotland: Improving lipid levels in people with no heart disease and above average cholesterol levels.
