IHD (AVERT trial)

• this was a randomised controlled, blinded trial with 18 months follow-up
• 341 patients were recruited who had been recommended for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) who had stable coronary heart disease (CHD) - 177 patients were allocated to PTCA and 164 were allocated to atorvastatin, 80 mg per day
• patients were excluded if they had left main coronary artery disease, triple vessel disease, ejection fraction of less than 40%, or recent myocardial infarction or unstable angina. There was a 100% follow-up
• this trial revealed that treatment with atorvastatin was at least as effective as PTCA plus usual care as a means of reducing ischaemic events in patients with stable CHD. There was evidence that PTCA offered better symptom control

Reference:

• Bertram Pitt, M.D., David Waters, M.D., William Virgil Brown, M.D., Ad J. van Boven, M.D., Ph.D., Leonard Schwartz, M.D., Lawrence M. Title, M.D., Daniel Eisenberg, M.D., Linda Shurzinske, M.S., Lisa S. McCormick, Pharm.D., for The Atorvastatin versus Revascularization Treatment Investigators. 1999. Aggressive Lipid-Lowering Therapy Compared with Angioplasty in Stable Coronary Artery Disease, N Engl J Med 341:70-76