Cholesterol and recurrent events: A secondary prevention trial for normolipidemic patients

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology 1995-09, Vol.76 (9), p.98C-106C
• Main Authors: Pfeffer, Marc A., Sacks, Frank M., Moyé, Lemuel A., Brown, Lisa, Rouleau, Jean L., Howard Hartley, L., Rouleau, Jacques, Grimm, Richard, Sestier, Francois, Wickemeyer, William, Cole, Thomas G., Braunwald, Eugene, The CARE Investigators
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol; General and cellular metabolism. Vitamins; Medical research; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9149(99)80478-0

Although elevated plasma cholesterol levels represent a well-established and significant risk for developing atherosclerosis, there is a wide spectrum of cholesterol levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Most secondary prevention studies have generated convincing evidence that cholesterol reduction in patients with high cholesterol levels is associated with improved clinical outcome by reducing risk of further cardiovascular events. However, other risk factors may play a prominent role in the pathogenesis of coronary disease in the majority of patients with near-normal cholesterol values. The Cholesterol and Recurrent Events (CARE) study was designed to address whether the pharmacologic reduction of cholesterol levels with the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor, pravastatin, would reduce the sum of fatal coronary artery disease (CAD) and nonfatal myocardial infarction (Ml) in patients who have survived an Ml yet have a total cholesterol value