Medical Management of Stable Coronary Atherosclerosis

Effect of Lipid-Lowering Drugs on Renal and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Dyslipidemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The effects of lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) on cardiovascular and renal outcomes in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dyslipidemia are not completely understood. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the effect of LLDs on end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), and mortality in adult patients with CKD stage 3b, 4, or 5, and dyslipidemia. Participants were recruited between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018, and classified as LLD or non-LLD users; the final follow-up date was December 31, 2020. The primary outcome was time to ESKD or death due to renal failure. Sub-distribution hazard regression models adjusted for multivariables, including time-varying lipid profile covariates, were used for the analysis. Among the 6,740 participants, 4,280 patients with CKD and dyslipidemia, including 872 using LLDs and 3,408 not using LLDs, completed the primary analysis. The multivariable analyses showed that LLD users had a significantly lower risk of time to the composite renal outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.76, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65-0.89), and MACE incidence (aHR, 0.75, 95% CI, 0.62-0.93) than did non-LLD users. After adjusting for time-varying covariates of the lipid profile, there was a significant difference in the composite renal outcome (aHR, 0.78, 95% CI, 0.65-0.93) and MACEs (aHR, 0.77, 95% CI, 0.60-0.98). Among adult patients with advanced CKD and dyslipidemia, LLD users had a significantly lower risk of composite renal outcomes and MACEs than non-LLD users. In addition to reducing lipid profile, the use of LLD is associated with renal and cardiovascular protective effects.

Effects and Safety of Statin and Ezetimibe Combination Therapy in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The efficacy and safety of statin and ezetimibe combination therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unclear. To assess the effect of statin and ezetimibe combination therapy on controlling lipid profiles and reducing cardiovascular events in patients with CKD, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. We selected randomized controlled trials comparing this combination therapy with statin monotherapy or placebo in patients with CKD from the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases published before September 1, 2018 on the Internet. Eight articles on seven studies, with a total of 14,016 patients with CKD, were selected from 412 full-text articles. Statin and ezetimibe combination therapy had beneficial effects on serum total cholesterol (weighted mean difference (WMD) -20.31 mg/dL, 95% confidence interval (CI), -26.87 to -13.75 mg/dL, P < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD -17.22 mg/dL, 95% CI, -18.93 to -15.51 mg/dL, P < 0.001), and triglycerides (WMD -15.08 mg/dL, 95% CI, -23.41 to -6.75 mg/dL, P < 0.001) compared with statin monotherapy. Statin and ezetimibe combination therapy significantly reduced all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (risk ratio 0.86, 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.97, P = 0.01). The incidence of adverse events was low, with no significant difference between statin and ezetimibe combination therapy and statin monotherapy. In conclusion, the statin and ezetimibe combination therapy significantly improved serum lipid profiles and reduced risks of all-cause deaths and major adverse cardiovascular events compared with the control group in patients with CKD.

Genetic Polymorphisms in the Dopamine Receptor 2 Predict Acute Pain Severity After Motor Vehicle Collision

OBJECTIVES

Dopaminergic signaling is implicated in nociceptive pathways. These effects are mediated largely through dopamine receptors and modulated in part by dopamine transporters. This study tested the hypothesis that genetic variants in the genes encoding dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2) and the dopamine active transporter (SLC6A3) influence acute pain severity after motor vehicle collision.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

European Americans presenting to the emergency department after motor vehicle collision were recruited. Overall pain intensity in emergency department was assessed using a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale. DNA was extracted from blood samples and genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the DRD2 and SLC6A3 gene was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 948 patients completed evaluation. After correction for multiple comparisons, SNP rs6276 at DRD2 showed significant association with pain scores, with individuals with the A/A genotype reporting lower mean pain scores (5.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 5.1-5.5) than those with A/G (5.9; 95% CI, 5.6-6.1) or G/G (5.7; 95% CI, 5.2-6.2) genotypes (P=0.0027). Secondary analyses revealed an interaction between sex and DRD2 SNPs rs4586205 and rs4648318 on pain scores: females with 2 minor alleles had increased pain intensity, whereas males with 2 minor alleles had less pain than individuals with a major allele (interaction P=0.0019).

DISCUSSION

Genetic variants in DRD2 are associated with acute pain after a traumatic stressful event. These results suggest that dopaminergic agents may be useful for the treatment of individuals with acute posttraumatic pain as part of a multimodal opioid-sparing analgesic regimen.

High-intensity statin therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-intensity statin therapy in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing high-intensity statin therapy (atorvastatin 80 mg or rosuvastatin 20/40 mg) with moderate/mild statin treatment or placebo were derived from the databases (PubMed, Embase, Ovid, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Knowledge).

OUTCOME MEASURE

Primary end points: clinical events (all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction and heart failure); secondary end points: serum lipid, renal function changes and adverse events.

RESULTS

A total of six RCTs with 10,993 adult patients with CKD were included. A significant decrease in stroke was observed in the high-intensity statin therapy group (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.85). However, the roles of high-intensity statin in decreasing all-cause mortality (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.09), myocardial infarction (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.18) and heart failure (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.13) remain unclear with low evidence. High-intensity statin also had obvious effects on lowering the LDL-C level but no clear effects on renal protection. Although pooled results showed no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in adverse event occurrences, it was still insufficient to put off the doubts that high-intensity statin might increase adverse events because of limited data sources and low quality evidences.

CONCLUSIONS

High-intensity statin therapy could effectively reduce the risk of stroke in patients with CKD. However, its effects on all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure and renal protection remain unclear. Moreover, it is hard to draw conclusions on the safety assessment of intensive statin treatment in this particular population. More studies are needed to credibly evaluate the effects of high-intensity statin therapy in patients with CKD.