Chronic administration of Rosuvastatin

The CORONA study showed that chronic administration of Rosuvastatin reduced the number of hospital admissions, and improved indices of inflammation and endothelial function: in particular, this action has been confirmed by the use of this drug in patients with ischemic heart failure.

The study enrolled 5011 patients, clinically stable for at least two weeks, older than 60 years, with chronic ischemic heart failure and Class II, III or IV NYHA, with a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40 per cent, and without lipid-lowering therapy. The average age of patients was 73 years, with 41 percent at least 75 years old, and many who had hypertension, diabetes and renal failure. All were randomized into two groups: 2514 patients were assigned to Rosuvastatin at a dose of 10 mg per day, and 2497 patients to placebo. They were followed for a median follow-up of 32.8 months.

After 3 months of therapy, LDL cholesterol decreased from 137 to 76 mg / dl (less than 45%), triglycerides increased from 178 to 138 mg / dl, C-reactive protein from 3.1 to 2.1 mg / dl . It was also noted a decreased incidence of myocardial infarction and stroke in 227 patients in the Rosuvastatin group, against 264 in the placebo group: the decrease of hospital admissions was significant, taking into account that, at present, the leading cause of hospitalization is caused by cardiovascular disease.

The high safety profile shown by the drug in this study population, made up of very old people with severe reduction in cardiac pump function and many other associated diseases, is of great importance in clinical practice, taking into account that the most common cause of death among the elderly with ischemic heart failure is represented by a primary electrical event, probably related to left ventricular dilation, rather than to an atherosclerotic thrombotic event, as traditionally believed.

All this bodes well for the future in terms of both, treatment and prevention.