Click on image to view larger version.
Figure 1 LDL-C at Baseline and After 4 Months of Therapy Stratified by Quartiles of Baseline LDL-C
In the statin-naïve patients enrolled in the PROVE IT–TIMI 22 trial, baseline LDL-C ranged from a median 81 mg/dl in the lowest quartile to 148 mg/dl in the highest quartile. Lipid-lowering therapy decreased LDL-C in all quartiles except for patients in the lowest quartile treated with pravastatin 40 mg. A lower LDL-C level at 4 months was achieved with atorvastatin 80 mg compared with pravastatin 40 mg in each quartile regardless of baseline values. A stepwise increase in LDL-C achieved at 4 months was observed from the lowest to the highest quartile of baseline LDL-C in patients randomized to both pravastatin 40 mg and atorvastatin 80 mg (ptrend < 0.001 for both). LDL-C = low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Q = quartile.