New Discovery: Pitavastatin Reduces Cardiovascular Disease Risk in HIV Patients
Groundbreaking research conducted by Professor Stephen Greenspoon of Harvard Medical School has uncovered a new application for pitavastatin, a treatment for dyslipidaemia. Administering pitavastatin to individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has shown a remarkable reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, up to 35%.
Published in the prestigious international journal NEJM, the study focused on the preventive benefits of pitavastatin in HIV-infected patients. Given the heightened vulnerability of individuals with HIV to cardiovascular disease, it is crucial to develop primary prevention strategies for this at-risk population.
Pitavastatin is an original domestic product containing this groundbreaking compound, released by JW Pharmaceutical. By reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, commonly referred to as “bad cholesterol,” and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol’s reabsorption, pitavastatin prevents the buildup of cholesterol in arteries. This vital mechanism prevents various cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, angina pectoris, stroke, and heart attacks, which can occur when cholesterol and fat accumulate along the arterial walls.
The research team conducted a phase 3 clinical trial, hypothesizing that pitavastatin could effectively ward off cardiovascular diseases in HIV-infected patients. The trial involved 7769 individuals with low to moderate cardiovascular disease risk who were undergoing antiretroviral therapy. These participants were randomly divided into two groups: one receiving a daily dose of 4 mg pitavastatin calcium and the other receiving a placebo. The trial spanned an average of 5.1 years.
The mean age of the subjects was 50 years, with a staggering 87.5% of the 5997 participants exhibiting HIV RNA values below the quantification. The primary endpoint of the study was the incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization related to angina pectoris, stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral arterial ischemia, revascularization, or death from unknown causes in both groups.
Statistical analysis revealed that major adverse cardiovascular events occurred at a rate of 4.81 per 1000 person-years in the pitavastatin group and 7.32 per 1000 person-years in the placebo group. This translates to a remarkable 35% reduction in risk for those taking pitavastatin (HR 0.65).
Notably, muscle-related symptoms, including myalgia, commonly associated with statin use, were reported in 91 patients (2.3%) in the pitavastatin group and 53 patients (1.4%) in the placebo group. Additionally, new cases of diabetes were observed in 206 patients (5.3%) in the pitavastatin group compared to 155 patients (4.0%) in the placebo group.
Summarizing the findings, the researchers concluded that “HIV-infected individuals receiving pitavastatin demonstrated a significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events compared to those receiving a placebo over a median follow-up period of 5.1 years.” This groundbreaking discovery presents promising possibilities for improving cardiovascular health outcomes in the HIV population.
New efficacy of pitavastatin, a treatment for dyslipidaemia, has been discovered. Administration of pitavastatin to people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 35%.
The results of a study on the effect of pitavastatin to prevent cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients conducted by researchers including Professor Stephen Greenspoon of Harvard Medical School in the United States were published in the international journal NEJM on the 23rd (DOI: 10.1056/ NEJ Moa2304146 ).
Because HIV-infected persons are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, primary prevention strategies for these patients are continually sought.
Livaro, released by JW Pharmaceutical, is a domestic original product containing pitavastatin.
When cholesterol and fat build up along the arterial wall, blood flow is reduced, and various cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, angina pectoris, stroke, and heart attack occur.
Pitavastatin, used as a treatment for dyslipidaemia, reduces low-density lipoprotein cholesterol called bad cholesterol and increases the amount of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol that reabsorbs cholesterol, thereby reducing the amount of cholesterol that can build up in arteries. .
The research team hypothesized that pitavastatin might be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease in HIV-infected patients and conducted a phase 3 clinical trial.
7769 HIV-infected people with low-moderate cardiovascular disease risk receiving antiretroviral therapy were divided into two groups: one group received 4 mg pitavastatin calcium daily and the other group received placebo, and then for an average of 5.1 years.
The mean age of the subjects was 50 years, and HIV RNA values were counted below the quantification in 5250 (87.5%) of 5997 participants.
The primary end point was the incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization related to angina pectoris, stroke, transient ischemic attack, peripheral arterial ischemia, revascularization, or death of unknown causes in both groups.
As a result of the analysis, the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events was 4.81 per 1000 person-years in the pitavastatin group and 7.32 per 1000 person-years in the placebo group, reducing the risk by 35% when taking pitavastatin (HR 0.65).
Muscle-related symptoms, such as myalgia, which are considered representative side effects of statins, occurred in 91 patients (2.3%) in the pitavastatin group and 53 patients (1.4%) in the placebo group, and new diabetes occurred in 206 patients. occurred in 5.3%) and 155 patients, respectively, in 4.0% of people (4.0%).
The researchers found that “HIV-infected people who received pitavastatin had a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events than those who received placebo over a median follow-up of 5.1 years.” He suggested the possibility of
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