Pitavastatin and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in HIV Patients

In this study of 7,769 virally suppressed HIV-infected individuals (median age 50), the efficacy of pitavastatin calcium (4 mg daily) was compared to a placebo in preventing major cardiovascular events. Over a median follow-up of 5.1 years, the pitavastatin group exhibited a reduced event rate of 4.81 per 1,000 person-years, compared to the placebo group’s 7.32. This translated to a hazard ratio of 0.65. However, the pitavastatin group reported increased muscle-related symptoms and a higher incidence of diabetes mellitus. The study’s limitations include its relatively short duration, focus on a healthier HIV cohort, and lack of comparison with other statins. Hospitalists should note that while pitavastatin may offer cardiovascular benefits for well-controlled HIV-infected patients, it’s vital to monitor for potential muscle complications and new diabetes onset. Bottom line: Pitavastatin effectively prevents cardiovascular disease in individuals with well-controlled HIV and a low-to-moderate cardiovascular disease risk, while maintaining a favorable tolerability profile. Citation: Grinspoon SK, et al. Pitavastatin to prevent cardiovascular disease in HIV infection. N Engl J Med. 2023;389(8):687-99. Dr. Sheikh is the associate program director, department of internal medicine, and assistant professor, division of hospital medicine, at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, N.M. The post Pitavastatin and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in HIV Patients appeared first ...
Source: The Hospitalist - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: In the Literature Infectious Diseases Source Type: research