Lipid therapy utilization rates in a managed-care mixed dyslipidemia population

Age-Related Changes in Lipid and Glucose Levels Associated with Drug Use and Mortality: An Observational Study

Background: The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus is complex and still unclear in some details. The main feature of diabetes mellitus is high serum glucose, and the question arises of whether there are other statistically observable dysregulations in laboratory measurements before the state of hyperglycemia becomes severe. In the present study, we aim to examine glucose and lipid profiles in the context of age, sex, medication use, and mortality. Methods: We conducted an observational study by analyzing laboratory data from 506,083 anonymized laboratory tests from 63,606 different patients performed by a regional laboratory in Slovenia between 2008 and 2019. Laboratory data-based results were evaluated in the context of medication use and mortality. The medication use database contains anonymized records of 1,632,441 patients from 2013 to 2018, and mortality data were obtained for the entire Slovenian population. Results: We show that the highest percentage of the population with elevated glucose levels occurs approximately 20 years later than the highest percentage with lipid dysregulation. Remarkably, two distinct inflection points were observed in these laboratory results. The first inflection point occurs at ages 55 to 59 years, corresponding to the greatest increase in medication use, and the second coincides with the sharp increase in mortality at ages 75 to 79 years. Conclusions: Our results suggest that medications and mortality are important factors affecting population statistics and must be considered when studying metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia using laboratory data.

Functional pasta consumption in healthy volunteers modulates ABCG1-mediated cholesterol efflux capacity of HDL

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS

Prevention of cardiovascular (CV) disease is considered a central issue in public health and great attention is payed to nutritional approaches, including consumption of functional foods to reduce CV risk in individuals without indications for anti-atherosclerotic drugs. Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) is an important anti-atherogenic property of HDL and a marker of CV risk. We evaluated the effect of a daily consumption of an innovative whole-wheat synbiotic pasta, compared to a control whole-wheat pasta, on serum ATP binding cassette G1 (ABCG1)-mediated CEC in healthy overweight or obese individuals.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Study participants (n = 41) were randomly allocated to either innovative or control pasta, consumed daily for twelve weeks. Serum CEC was measured before and after the dietary intervention, by a well-established radioisotopic technique on Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells transfected with human ABCG1. The innovative synbiotic pasta consumption was associated to a significantly higher post treatment/baseline ratio of ABCG1-mediated CEC values with respect to control pasta (mean ratio 1.05 ± 0.037 and 0.95 ± 0.042 respectively, p < 0.05). Analysis of the relationship between ABCG1-mediated CEC and glycemia, homocysteine, total folates and interleukin-6 showed specific changes in the correlations between HDL function and glycemia, oxidative and inflammatory markers only after synbiotic pasta consumption.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report on serum CEC improvement obtained by a new synbiotic functional pasta consumption, in absence of lipid profile modifications, in overweight/obese participants. This pilot study suggests that a simple dietary intervention can be a promising approach to CV preservation through improving of athero-protective HDL function.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of choline fenofibrate (fenofibric acid) to micronized fenofibrate in patients of mixed dyslipidemia: A randomized, open-label, multicenter clinical trial in Indian population

INTRODUCTION

Choline fenofibrate is a newly developed choline salt of fenofibric acid, which is more hydrophilic than fenofibrate. This study was initiated to evaluate the safety and efficacy of choline fenofibrate in comparison to micronized fenofibrate among Indian patients of mixed dyslipidemia.

METHODS

A multicenter, open-label, randomized, active controlled, comparative, parallel group study was conducted at around 10 centers spread all across the country. Mixed dyslipidemia patients (serum triglycerides [TG] levels between 150 and 500 mg/dl), aged 18-70 years and taking stable statin dose for 8 weeks were randomized to choline fenofibrate 135 mg delayed release tablets and micronized fenofibrate 160 mg tablets once daily for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint of the study was percentage change in serum TG level at the end of 12 weeks.

RESULTS

A total of 226 patients were enrolled in this study, of which 116 patients were administered choline fenofibrate and 110 patients were administered micronized fenofibrate. At the end of 12 weeks, there was a significant reduction in TG level (34.24% in choline fenofibrate group and 38.13% reduction in micronized fenofibrate group). However, the difference between group was not statistically different (P = 0.471). Similarly, there was a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at the end of 12 weeks (10% increase in choline fenofibrate group and 9% increase in micronized fenofibrate group); but the difference between the group was not statistically significant (P = 0.598). Both the treatment was safe and well tolerated.

CONCLUSION

Choline fenofibrate delayed release 135 mg is as safe and effective as 160 mg of micronized fenofibrate in Indian patients with mixed dyslipidemia.

Modern evaluation of liquisolid systems with varying amounts of liquid phase prepared using two different methods

Liquisolid systems are an innovative dosage form used for enhancing dissolution rate and improving in vivo bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. These formulations require specific evaluation methods for their quality assurance (e.g., evaluation of angle of slide, contact angle, or water absorption ratio). The presented study is focused on the preparation, modern in vitro testing, and evaluation of differences of liquisolid systems containing varying amounts of a drug in liquid state (polyethylene glycol 400 solution of rosuvastatin) in relation to an aluminometasilicate carrier (Neusilin US2). Liquisolid powders used for the formulation of final tablets were prepared using two different methods: simple blending and spraying of drug solution onto a carrier in fluid bed equipment. The obtained results imply that the amount of liquid phase in relation to carrier material had an effect on the hardness, friability, and disintegration of tablets, as well as their height. The use of spraying technique enhanced flow properties of the prepared mixtures, increased hardness values, decreased friability, and improved homogeneity of the final dosage form.

Efficacy and safety of fenofibric acid co-administered with low- or moderate-dose statin in patients with mixed dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus: results of a pooled subgroup analysis from three randomized, controlled, double-blind trials

BACKGROUND

Monotherapy with lipid-modifying medication is frequently insufficient to normalize lipid abnormalities in patients with mixed dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fenofibric acid + statin combination therapy in this population.

STUDY DESIGN

A pooled, subgroup analysis of three randomized, controlled, double-blind, 12-week trials.

SETTING

Multiple clinical research facilities in the US and Canada.

PATIENTS

Patients with mixed dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes (n = 586).

INTERVENTION

Fenofibric acid (Trilipix) 135 mg monotherapy; low-, moderate-, or high-dose statin monotherapy (rosuvastatin [Crestor] 10, 20, or 40 mg; simvastatin [Zocor] 20, 40, or 80 mg; or atorvastatin [Lipitor] 20, 40, or 80 mg); or fenofibric acid + low- or moderate-dose statin.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Mean percentage changes in lipid parameters, percentages of patients achieving optimal serum lipid/apolipoprotein levels, and incidence of adverse events.

RESULTS

Fenofibric acid + low-dose statin resulted in significantly (p < 0.001) greater mean percentage changes in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) [16.8%] and triglycerides (-43.9%) than low-dose statin monotherapy (4.7% and -18.1%, respectively) and significantly (p < 0.001) greater reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) [-34.0%] than fenofibric acid monotherapy (-5.3%). Similarly, fenofibric acid + moderate-dose statin resulted in significantly (p < or = 0.011) greater mean percentage changes in HDL-C (16.3%) and triglycerides (-43.4%) than moderate-dose statin monotherapy (8.7% and -24.2%, respectively) and significantly (p < 0.001) greater reductions in LDL-C (-32.6%) than fenofibric acid monotherapy (-5.3%). Compared with low- or moderate-dose statin, fenofibric acid + low- or moderate-dose statin resulted in over 5-fold higher percentages of patients achieving optimal levels of LDL-C, non-HDL-C, apolipoprotein B, HDL-C, and triglycerides simultaneously. Incidence of adverse events was generally similar among treatments.

CONCLUSION

Fenofibric acid + statin combination therapy in patients with mixed dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes was well tolerated and resulted in more comprehensive improvement in the lipid/apolipoprotein profile than either monotherapy. [Clinical trials are registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00300482, NCT00300456, and NCT00300469].