AHA Perspective on the Potential Impact of the IMPROVE-IT Data

A new study presented today at American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions suggests clinicians may have more evidenced-based options when considering preventative therapy for high-risk acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.

IMPROVE-IT is the first study to show that reducing LDL with a combination of a statin and non-statin to levels lower than those achieved with the statin alone was associated with significant clinical benefit.

“These study results will help expand our treatment options for high-risk ACS patients, especially among those who are intolerant of or who do not achieve desired results with intense statin therapy,” said Lori Mosca,

M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D,

and Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center and Director of Preventive Cardiology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. “These results are consistent with decades of research in high-risk ACS patients affirming the central role of aggressive LDL reduction in the prevention of recurrent heart disease. They further suggest that we should consider setting the LDL bar even lower among our high-risk patients to achieve maximum benefit to prevent recurrent heart disease and stroke,” Mosca continued.

“Science by nature is evolutionary. Each piece of new data advances our understanding of how to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat heart disease,” said Elliott Antman, M.D., President of the American Heart Association. “We are learning more about the biology of cardiovascular disease, and we are making progress.”

The American Heart Association Scientific Sessions provides a forum for researchers to present and discuss findings with more than 18,000 of their peers.

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