BACKGROUND Lipoprotein(a) concentration is associated with cardiovascular events. Alirocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor, lowers lipoprotein(a) and low-density... Show moreBACKGROUND Lipoprotein(a) concentration is associated with cardiovascular events. Alirocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor, lowers lipoprotein(a) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).OBJECTIVES A pre-specified analysis of the placebo-controlled ODYSSEY Outcomes trial in patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) determined whether alirocumab-induced changes in lipoprotein(a) and LDL-C independently predicted major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).METHODS One to 12 months after ACS, 18,924 patients on high-intensity statin therapy were randomized to alirocumab or placebo and followed for 2.8 years (median). Lipoprotein(a) was measured at randomization and 4 and 12 months thereafter. The primary MACE outcome was coronary heart disease death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or hospitalization for unstable angina.RESULTS Baseline lipoprotein(a) levels (median: 21.2 mg/dl; interquartile range [IQR]: 6.7 to 59.6 mg/dl) and LDL-C [corrected for cholesterol content in lipoprotein(a)] predicted MACE. Alirocumab reduced lipoprotein(a) by 5.0 mg/dl (IQR: 0 to 13.5 mg/dl), corrected LDL-C by 51.1 mg/dl (IQR: 33.7 to 67.2 mg/dl), and reduced the risk of MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78 to 0.93). Alirocumab-induced reductions of lipoprotein(a) and corrected LDL-C independently predicted lower risk of MACE, after adjustment for baseline concentrations of both lipoproteins and demographic and clinical characteristics. A 1-mg/dl reduction in lipoprotein(a) with alirocumab was associated with a HR of 0.994 (95% CI: 0.990 to 0.999; p = 0.0081).CONCLUSIONS Baseline lipoprotein(a) and corrected LDL-C levels and their reductions by alirocumab predicted the risk of MACE after recent ACS. Lipoprotein(a) lowering by alirocumab is an independent contributor to MACE reduction, which suggests that lipoprotein(a) should be an independent treatment target after ACS. (ODYSSEY Outcomes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab; NCT01663402) (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation. Show less
Ray, K.K.; Colhoun, H.M.; Szarek, M.; Baccara-Dinet, M.; Bhatt, D.L.; Bittner, V.A.; ... ; Vidotti 2019
Background After acute coronary syndrome, diabetes conveys an excess risk of ischaemic cardiovascular events. A reduction in mean LDL cholesterol to 1.4-1.8 mmol/L with ezetimibe or statins reduces... Show moreBackground After acute coronary syndrome, diabetes conveys an excess risk of ischaemic cardiovascular events. A reduction in mean LDL cholesterol to 1.4-1.8 mmol/L with ezetimibe or statins reduces cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome and diabetes. However, the efficacy and safety of further reduction in LDL cholesterol with an inhibitor of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) after acute coronary syndrome is unknown. We aimed to explore this issue in a prespecified analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial of the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab, assessing its effects on cardiovascular outcomes by baseline glycaemic status, while also assessing its effects on glycaemic measures including risk of new-onset diabetes.Methods ODYSSEY OUTCOMES was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, done at 1315 sites in 57 countries, that compared alirocumab with placebo in patients who had been admitted to hospital with an acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction or unstable angina) 1-12 months before randomisation and who had raised concentrations of atherogenic lipoproteins despite use of high-intensity statins. Patients were randomly assigned (1: 1) to receive alirocumab or placebo every 2 weeks; randomisation was stratified by country and was done centrally with an interactive voice-response or web-response system. Alirocumab was titrated to target LDL cholesterol concentrations of 0.65-1.30 mmol/L. In this prespecified analysis, we investigated the effect of alirocumab on cardiovascular events by glycaemic status at baseline (diabetes, prediabetes, or normoglycaemia)-defined on the basis of patient history, review of medical records, or baseline HbA(1c) or fasting serum glucose-and risk of new-onset diabetes among those without diabetes at baseline. The primary endpoint was a composite of death from coronary heart disease, non-fatal myocardial infarction, fatal or non-fatal ischaemic stroke, or unstable angina requiring hospital admission. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES is registered with ClinicalTrials. gov, number NCT01663402.Findings At study baseline, 5444 patients (28.8%) had diabetes, 8246 (43.6%) had prediabetes, and 5234 (27.7%) had normoglycaemia. There were no significant differences across glycaemic categories in median LDL cholesterol at baseline (2.20-2.28 mmol/L), after 4 months' treatment with alirocumab (0.80 mmol/L), or after 4 months' treatment with placebo (2.25-2.28 mmol/L). In the placebo group, the incidence of the primary endpoint over a median of 2.8 years was greater in patients with diabetes (16.4%) than in those with prediabetes (9.2%) or normoglycaemia (8.5%); hazard ratio (HR) for diabetes versus normoglycaemia 2.09 (95% CI 1.78-2.46, p<0.0001) and for diabetes versus prediabetes 1.90 (1.65-2.17, p<0.0001). Alirocumab resulted in similar relative reductions in the incidence of the primary endpoint in each glycaemic category, but a greater absolute reduction in the incidence of the primary endpoint in patients with diabetes (2.3%, 95% CI 0.4 to 4.2) than in those with prediabetes (1.2%, 0.0 to 2.4) or normoglycaemia (1.2%, -0.3 to 2.7; absolute risk reduction p(interaction) = 0.0019). Among patients without diabetes at baseline, 676 (10.1%) developed diabetes in the placebo group, compared with 648 (9.6%) in the alirocumab group; alirocumab did not increase the risk of new-onset diabetes (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.89-1.11). HRs were 0.97 (95% CI 0.87-1.09) for patients with prediabetes and 1.30 (95% CI 0.93-1.81) for those with normoglycaemia (p(interaction) = 0.11).Interpretation After a recent acute coronary syndrome, alirocumab treatment targeting an LDL cholesterol concentration of 0.65-1.30 mmol/L produced about twice the absolute reduction in cardiovascular events among patients with diabetes as in those without diabetes. Alirocumab treatment did not increase the risk of new-onset diabetes. Copyright (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Show less
