cholesterol and recurrent events trial
Last reviewed 01/2018
The CARE trial was a study of the use of pravastatin for the secondary prevention of coronary events.
Patients:
- 4000 patients aged 21-75 years with a past history of myocardial infarction and a plasma total cholesterol below 6.2 mmol/l
Trial design:
- patients randomised to placebo or pravastatin 40 mg per day for 5 years
Results:
- pravastatin reduced mean plasma cholesterol concentration by 20%
- LDL cholesterol was reduced by 28%
- the risk of either death from CHD or non-fatal myocardial infarction was reduced by 24% in the pravastatin group
- the pravastatin group showed a 31% reduction in risk of stroke and a 27% reduction in need for either coronary artery bypass grafting or coronary angioplasty
- this trial revealed survival benefit gains for a total cholesterol of 4.8 mmol/l or below
Reference:
- Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (1996), 34 (12), 89-93.