Changes in serum cholesterol levels determine future risk of cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome in the Japanese Coronary Artery Disease (JCAD) Study

Change in cardiometabolic score and incidence of cardiovascular disease: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

PURPOSE

Examine the relationship between changes in cardiometabolic risk profiles and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD).

METHODS

The study sample included 5557 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants, recruited in 2000 from six U.S. counties. Standardized scores were calculated for metabolic and cardiovascular components relative to accepted clinical cut points and summed to create an index of cardiometabolic risk. CVD events and/or deaths were assessed after examination 3 (years, 2004-2005) through December 2011. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association between change in the cardiometabolic index (examination 3 minus examination 1) and subsequent cardiovascular outcomes adjusted for demographics, socioeconomic status, medication, and stratified by tertiles of baseline cardiometabolic risk.

RESULTS

We found a 31% relative increase in the CVD event rate per SD change in the cardiometabolic index among those in the highest tertile of baseline cardiometabolic risk (Hazard ratio = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.14-1.50); associations were not statistically significant in the lower tertiles of baseline risk.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that larger increases in the cardiometabolic index over time were significantly associated with higher risk for subsequent CVD events among those with elevated cardiometabolic risk at baseline. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring temporal changes in risk factor profiles for predicting cardiovascular outcomes.

Impact of candesartan on cardiovascular events after drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with coronary artery disease: The 4C trial

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine the cardiovascular protective effects of candesartan in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DESs).

BACKGROUND

Candesartan has been reported to reduce cardiovascular events when therapy was started 6 months after PCI with bare-metal stents in patients who survived restenosis. Candesartan started immediately after PCI with DESs was also effective in preventing cardiovascular events.

METHODS

The 4C trial was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label study. A total of 1145 patients at 39 centers in Japan were randomly assigned to receive candesartan plus standard medical treatment or standard medical treatment alone. The primary endpoints were all-cause death, and a composite of non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), unstable angina pectoris (uAP), congestive heart failure (CHF), and non-fatal cerebrovascular events. The follow-up period was up to 3 years after the index PCI (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00139386).

RESULTS

The incidence of total death, one of the primary endpoints, was comparable between the two treatment groups (3.8% each, p=0.9702). Another primary endpoint, non-fatal major cardiovascular events, tended to occur more often in the control group than in the candesartan group (9.2% vs. 12.5%, p=0.0985). In contrast, candesartan significantly reduced one of the pre-specified secondary endpoints: cardiovascular events that included non-fatal MI, uAP, and CHF (4.4% vs. 6.7%, p=0.0136). Furthermore, candesartan significantly reduced another secondary endpoint that included cardiovascular events and cardiovascular death (5.0% vs. 7.7%, p=0.0493).

CONCLUSIONS

The 4C trial showed that candesartan administered immediately after PCI with DESs did not improve the prognosis after the index procedure, but did reduce some cardiac-related events for 3 years.