Efficacy and safety of pitavastatins in patients with acute myocardial infarction: Livalo in Acute Myocardial Infarction Study (LAMIS) II

Position paper of the Polish Expert Group on the use of pitavastatin in the treatment of lipid disorders in Poland endorsed by the Polish Lipid Association

Lipid disorders, primarily hypercholesterolemia, are the most common cardiovascular (CV) risk factor in Poland (this applies even 3/4 of people). The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) serum level is the basic lipid parameter that should be measured to determine CV risk and determines the aim and target of lipid-lowering treatment (LLT). Lipid-lowering treatment improves cardiovascular prognosis and prolongs life in both primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention. Despite the availability of effective lipid-lowering drugs and solid data on their beneficial effects, the level of LDL-C control is highly insufficient. This is related, among other things, to physician inertia and patients' fear of side effects. The development of lipidology has made drugs available with a good safety profile and enabling personalisation of therapy. Pitavastatin, the third most potent lipid-lowering statin, is characterised by a lower risk of muscle complications and new cases of diabetes due to its being metabolised differently. Thus, pitavastatin is a very good therapeutic option in patients at high risk of diabetes or with existing diabetes, and in patients at cardiovascular risk. This expert opinion paper attempts at recommendation on the place and possibility of using pitavastatin in the treatment of lipid disorders.

Efficacy and Safety of Pitavastatin in Patients with Impaired Glucose Tolerance: An Updated Review

This review provides an updated overview of the efficacy and safety of pitavastatin in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). IGT is a prediabetic state characterized by elevated blood glucose levels that do not meet the criteria for diabetes. The review explores the potential benefits of pitavastatin in reducing cardiovascular risk and improving lipid profiles in individuals with IGT. It also examines the glycemic effects of pitavastatin, including its impact on fasting blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, and beta-cell function. The review highlights the need for individualized treatment approaches, taking into account the patient's overall cardiovascular risk profile and glycemic control needs. While pitavastatin has shown modest improvements in glycemic control, it is not a substitute for lifestyle modifications or standard antidiabetic medications. Future directions for research include long-term follow-up studies, mechanistic investigations, and comparative analyses to further understand the glycemic effects of pitavastatin in IGT. Overall, this narrative review provides valuable insights for healthcare professionals involved in the management of individuals with IGT, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to reduce cardiovascular risk and optimize glycemic control.

A comprehensive review on the lipid and pleiotropic effects of pitavastatin

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors, or statins, are administered as first line therapy for hypercholesterolemia, both in primary and secondary prevention. There is a growing body of evidence showing that beyond their lipid-lowering effect, statins have a number of additional beneficial properties. Pitavastatin is a unique lipophilic statin with a strong effect on lowering plasma total cholesterol and triacylglycerol. It has been reported to have pleiotropic effects such as decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress, regulating angiogenesis and osteogenesis, improving endothelial function and arterial stiffness, and reducing tumor progression. Based on the available studies considering the risk of statin-associated muscle symptoms it seems to be also the safest statin. The unique lipid and non-lipid effects of pitavastatin make this molecule a particularly interesting option for the management of different human diseases. In this review, we first summarized the lipid effects of pitavastatin and then strive to unravel the diverse pleiotropic effects of this molecule.

Safety and Efficacy of Pitavastatin in Patients With Impaired Fasting Glucose and Hyperlipidemia: A Randomized, Open-labeled, Multicentered, Phase IV Study

PURPOSE

Although the role of high-intensity lipid-lowering therapy in cardiovascular protection has broadened, concerns still exist about new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM), especially in vulnerable patients. This study aimed to compare the effect of high-dose (4 mg/d) and usual dose (2 mg/d) pitavastatin on glucose metabolism in patients with hyperlipidemia and impaired fasting glucose (IFG).

METHODS

In this 12-month study, glucose tolerance and lipid-lowering efficacy of high-dose pitavastatin (4 mg [study group]) was compared with that of usual dose pitavastatin (2 mg [control group]) in patients with hyperlipidemia and IFG. The primary end point was the change of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) after 24 weeks of treatment. The secondary end points were as follows: (1) NODM within 1 year after treatment, (2) change of lipid parameters, (3) changes of adiponectin, and (4) change of blood glucose and insulin levels.

FINDINGS

Of the total 417 patients screened, 313 patients with hypercholesterolemia and IFG were randomly assigned into groups. The mean (SD) change in HbA_1c was 0.06% (0.20%) in the study group and 0.03% (0.22%) in the control group (P = 0.27). Within 1 year, 27 patients (12.3%) developed NODM, including 12 (10.6%) of 113 patients in the study group and 15 (14.2%) of 106 in the control group (P = 0.43). The study group had a significantly higher reduction of total cholesterol and LDL-C levels and a higher increase in apolipoprotein A1/apolipoprotein B ratio (0.68 [0.40] vs 0.51 [0.35], P < 0.01).

IMPLICATIONS

The high-dose pitavastatin therapy did not aggravate glucose metabolism compared with the usual dose therapy. Moreover, it had a better effect on cholesterol-lowering and apolipoprotein distribution in the patients with hyperlipidemia and IFG.

Incidence of new-onset diabetes with 1 mg versus 4 mg pitavastatin in patients at high risk of developing diabetes during a 3-year follow-up

Background

Statin therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular events across a broad spectrum of patients; however, it increases the risk of new-onset diabetes (NOD). Although the highest dose pitavastatin is considered to not be associated with NOD, there are limited data regarding the impact of long-term highest dose pitavastatin use on the development of NOD in patients at high risk of developing diabetes. Therefore, we prospectively compared the differences in the development of NOD between the lowest and the highest dose of pitavastatin in patients at high risk of developing diabetes during a 3-year follow-up.

Methods

This post hoc analysis of a prospective, single-blinded, randomized study compared the risk of NOD between the highest dose of pitavastatin (4 mg) and the lowest dose of pitavastatin (1 mg) over a 3-year follow-up in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Among 1044 patients of the original study, 667 patients at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus were in the subgroup analysis. The primary endpoint was a comparison of the differences in the cumulative incidence of NOD in the pitavastatin 1 mg and 4 mg groups during a 3-year follow-up.

Results

With propensity score matching, there were no significant differences in baseline demographic characteristics between the 2 groups. Incidence of NOD was similar between the pitavastatin 1 mg and 4 mg groups [12 of 289 patients (4.2%) and 8 of 289 patients (2.8%), respectively; p = 0.36]. In a prespecified analysis, there were no significant differences in NOD events according to sex, age, diagnosis, body mass index, glucose intolerance, or dyslipidemia.

Conclusions

Administration of highest-dose pitavastatin did not increase the risk of NOD in patients at high risk of developing diabetes during the 3-year follow-up. Moreover, various risk factors for NOD such as metabolic syndrome components, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, obesity, or hypertension did not affect the development of NOD during pitavastatin administration. Thus, the highest dose pitavastatin can be safely used in patients with metabolic syndrome who are at high risk of developing diabetes.

Trial registration Clinical Trial registration information. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02545231. Unique identifier: NCT02545231