Study supports use of LDL particle number to guide statin therapy in patients at elevated CVD risk

LipoScience, Inc., has announced data suggesting that the use of a target low-density lipoprotein particle (LDL-P) number to guide statin therapy in at-risk patients can reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and death, compared to using standard LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) targets as a guide to therapy. Such benefits are particularly pronounced in patients in whom LDL-P and LDL-C numbers disagree, as is common in people with diabetes or coronary heart disease (CHD). The data, presented last week at the 2014 National Lipid Association Scientific Sessions, were generated by using Evidera’s Archimedes Model, a clinically detailed simulation model that incorporates person-specific data from real populations to create simulated populations that match individuals to demographic, risk factor, and biomarker profiles over time.

Researchers evaluated the efficacy of using LDL-C- versus LDL-P-guided therapy to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in patients with dyslipidemia. The simulated study had three arms:

• Control: Virtual patients were evaluated for therapy for elevated LDL-C and treated with statins to standard LDL-C goals
• LDL-P Alone: Patients were evaluated and treated based solely on their LDL-P values, as measured by LipoScience’s NMR LipoProfile test.
• Dual Goals: Patients were evaluated for therapy using LDL-C alone, but treated to both LDL-C and LDL-P goals.

The analysis showed that statin therapy in both the LDL-P Alone arm and the Dual arm reduced MACE and death due to CVD (CHD or stroke) to a greater extent than in the Control arm. A slightly greater effect was observed in the LDL-P arm than in the dual arm. In patients with established CHD, the relative reduction in risk of MACE relative to Controls was 6.2% in the Dual arm and 6.6% in the LDL-P Alone arm. In patients with diabetes, the relative risk reduction versus the Control arm was 7.3% in the LDL-P Alone arm and 6.9% in the Dual arm.  Learn more the NMR LipoProfile test.