Inflammation contributes to cardiovascular risk in patients receiving statin therapy

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death globally despite the current standard of care. Atherosclerosis is the most common process responsible for myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease, and therefore leads to a major burden on life expectancy, morbidity, quality of life, and societal costs. Inflammation and cholesterol as predictors of cardiovascular events among patients receiving statin therapy: a collaborative analysis of three randomised trialsAmong patients receiving contemporary statins, inflammation assessed by high-sensitivity CRP was a stronger predictor for risk of future cardiovascular events and death than cholesterol assessed by LDLC. These data have implications for the selection of adjunctive treatments beyond statin therapy and suggest that combined use of aggressive lipid-lowering and inflammation-inhibiting therapies might be needed to further reduce atherosclerotic risk. Full-Text PDF