Patients more likely to stay on lipitor than simvastatin

This is according to an observational study of more than 186,000 patients in one of the largest U.S. managed care claims databases. The results were published in the July issue of Current Medical Research and Opinion.

“It is important for patients to remain on their medications, especially those with chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, which when uncontrolled may increase a patient's risk for heart attacks and strokes,” said Dr. JoAnne M. Foody, study lead author, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Cardiovascular Wellness Center at Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals, Boston. “In patients who take statins to manage their cholesterol levels, poor persistence has been linked with an increase in heart attacks and strokes in addition to higher healthcare costs.”

According to the results:

Of patients without prior cardiovascular events (n=175,322), those treated with Lipitor were a significant 15 percent less likely to discontinue therapy in the first year than those treated with simvastatin.
Of patients who had at least one prior cardiovascular event (n=11,331), those treated with Lipitor were a significant 22 percent less likely to discontinue therapy than those treated with simvastatin.

A subanalysis examined the persistence rates of patients aged 65 years and older, who are at a higher risk for cardiovascular events and are known to have lower persistence rates than younger patients. In this retrospective database analysis, persistence rates were defined as the number of days a patient remained on treatment in the first year following medication start date.

According to the results:

Overall, persistence was worse in elderly patients than in younger patients for both statins, but the relative difference between Lipitor and simvastatin users was similar to that of the overall patient population.
Elderly patients without prior cardiovascular events (n=8,278) treated with Lipitor were a significant 22 percent less likely to discontinue therapy than those treated with simvastatin.
Elderly patients with at least one prior cardiovascular event (n=980) treated with Lipitor were a significant 26 percent less likely to discontinue therapy than those treated with simvastatin.

“Today, physicians face increasing pressure to switch from established statin therapy to generics, based on the perception that all statins are equivalent," said Dr. Rochelle Chaiken, vice president of Pfizer's global cardiovascular and metabolic medical team. "This observational study provides important real-world insights into statin usage patterns and suggests that the choice of statin may have a significant effect on whether a patient remains on their prescribed medication. When choosing a medication, it is critical for clinicians to consider all of the factors that may influence the long-term effectiveness of therapy."

Pfizer South Africa
Solly Mabotha
Pfizer Public Relations Manager
www.pfizer.com