Fibrate + Statin = Reduction of CV Risk?

A recently published study that has appeared in the BMJ has assessed whether fenofibrate, added to statin treatment, reduces persistent cardiovascular risk in adults with metabolic syndrome. Investigating nearly 30,000 people with metabolic syndrome (≥40 years) receiving statin treatment, the study matched a subgroup of 2156 participants receiving combined treatment (statin plus fenofibrate) against 8549 participants using statin only treatment. The primary outcome was composite cardiovascular events including incident coronary heart disease, ischaemic stroke, and death from cardiovascular causes. The incidence rate per 1000 person years of composite cardiovascular events was 17.7 (95% confidence interval 14.4 to 21.8) in the combined treatment group and 22.0 (20.1 to 24.1) in the statin group. The risk of composite cardiovascular events was significantly reduced in the combined treatment group compared with statin group (adjusted hazard ratio 0.74, 95% confidence interval 0.58 to 0.93; P=0.01). The results of this study from Korea suggest that there may be a need to rethink the approach to managing cardiovascular risk amongst people with metabolic syndrome. Read more here