A new analysis from the JUPITER study shows that CRESTOR (rosuvastatin calcium) 20mg significantly cut the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) by 43% compared to placebo among men and women with low to normal cholesterol levels and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).
This analysis was presented today at the 58th Annual American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions (ACC) in Orlando, Florida, and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Venous thromboembolism, a serious and sometimes fatal condition, occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein. The most common form of VTE is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which occurs in the ?deep veins’ usually in the legs or pelvis. An embolism is created if the clot travels through the venous system. Blood clots lodging in the lungs are known as a pulmonary embolism (PE). Estimates suggest that at least 350,000 and as many as 600,000 Americans annually develop DVT/PE, and at least 100,000 deaths are thought to be related to these diseases each year.
Additional results of this secondary endpoint analysis of JUPITER showed rosuvastatin 20mg produced a significant 55% (p=0.004) reduction in the risk of DVT and a non-significant 23% reduction in PE (p=0.42).
“This is the first time a statin has been shown to reduce the risk of VTE in a randomized, prospective study,” said Alex Gold, MD, Executive Director of Clinical Development, AstraZeneca US. “This result is in addition to the effect on cardiovascular events already demonstrated by CRESTOR in the primary analysis of JUPITER.”
Rosuvastatin 20mg was well tolerated in nearly 9,000 patients during the course of the JUPITER study.
Source: AstraZeneca, USA