Among patients aged 65 and older with established coronary heart disease, Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) 80 mg significantly reduced the relative risk of a first cardiovascular event by 23 per cent and provided significant reductions in the risk of subsequent second, third and fourth cardiovascular events over a period of five years compared to Lipitor 10 mg, according to data presented today at the 58th annual scientific sessions of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) in Orlando, FL. This post hoc sub-analysis was designed and completed following the Treating to New Targets (TNT) study.

"More people are surviving heart attacks than ever before due to improved healthcare," said Dr Nanette Wenger, professor of medicine, division of cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine. "But anyone who experiences one cardiovascular event remains at increased risk for additional events. Age further increases this risk. This sub-analysis showed that in the TNT study intensive Lipitor therapy provided sustained reductions in the risk of multiple cardiovascular events in an older population with coronary heart disease."

The American Heart Association estimates that 470,000 Americans will have a recurrent heart attack this year. Most cardiovascular outcomes trials, including the overall TNT trial, however, evaluate only the time to a patient's first cardiovascular event and thus may underestimate potential longer-term effects of treatment. This sub-analysis evaluated any cardiovascular event during the full duration of the five-year TNT study in 3,809 patients aged 65 and older with stable coronary heart disease. Any cardiovascular event was defined as death from heart disease, non-fatal heart attack, resuscitated cardiac arrest, revascularization procedure, procedure-related heart attack, chest pain, fatal or non-fatal stroke, peripheral arterial disease or hospitalization due to chronic heart failure.

The TNT study was an investigator-led trial coordinated by an independent steering committee and funded by Pfizer.