Transcript ORION study

ORION study
Rosuvastatin Treatment and Its Effects on Plaque Composition of
Carotid Atherosclerosis in Moderately Hypercholesterolemic
Subjects: A High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging Trial
Tobias Saam1, Chun Yuan1, Xue-Qiao Zhao1, Norihide Takaya1, Hunter
Underhil1, Baocheng Chu1, Jianming Cai1, William Kerwin1, Lawrence W.
Kraiss2, Dennis L. Parker2 , Wendy Hamar1 , Joel Raichlen3 , Valerie Cain 3,
John Waterton 4 , and Thomas S. Hatsukami1.5
University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA; University of Utah, Salt Lake
City, Utah, USA; AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Del, USA, and 4Macclesfield,
UK; VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Wash, USA
ORION study
Background
Atherosclerosis and its thrombotic complications are the
leading cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized
countries
Previous studies suggest that the plaques likely to cause
thrombotic complications are those with large lipid-rich
necrotic cores (LRNC) and thin fibrous caps
Recent trials have shown slowed progression in atheroma size
with statin therapy. However, the effects of statin therapy on
plaque composition were not reported in those trials
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been extensively validated
with histology and has been shown to accurately identify6,7 and
quantify8 the structure and composition of carotid atherosclerosis in
vivo. Therefore, MRI provides an opportunity to study changes in
atheroma size and composition
The ORION (Outcome of Rosuvastatin treatment on carotid artery
atheroma: a magnetic resonance Imaging ObservatioN) trial
examined the effects of 2 yrs of treatment with low versus high doses of
rosuvastatin (Crestor®) on carotid plaque composition using highresolution MRI
ORION study
Methods
43 subjects with fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) > 100
and <250 mg/dL (> 2.6 and <6.5 mmol/L) and either 16%-79% carotid
stenosis by ultrasound or plaque with a LRNC by MRI were randomized
to rosuvastatin 5 or 40mg for 2 yrs (see Table 1 for baseline
characteristics)
Multi-sequence carotid MRI was performed at 1.5T, with phased-array
carotid coils
Expert readers, blinded to dosage and time sequence, reviewed all
scans
As appropriate, data were analyzed by parametric or nonparametric
tests. P-values represent within-group comparisons vs. baseline
Primary end point was the change in atherosclerotic carotid artery wall
composition
ORION study
35 subjects (n5mg=15; n40mg=20) had matched baseline and 2-yr scans
(63% men; mean age 65 yrs; mean baseline LDL-C 156 mg/dL [4.0
mmol/L])
At 2 yrs, LDL-C was reduced from baseline by 39% and 58% in 5- and 40mg groups, respectively (p <0.001)
In 5- and 40-mg groups, median (mean) % changes in carotid artery
wall volume were 0.5% (-1.2%) and -1.4% (1.1%), respectively (p=NS)
Subjects whose wall volume regressed (n=16) had an on-treatment
mean LDL-C of 69 mg/dL (-56%), whereas subjects whose wall volume
progressed (n=19) had an LDL-C of 84 mg/dL (-45%)
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In plaques with a LRNC at baseline (n5mg=8; n40mg=10), LRNC comprised 28.5%
and 24.7% of the most diseased section (% LRNC) in the 5- and 40-mg groups.
Rosuvastatin 5 and 40 mg reduced % LRNC at this location by 17.6% (P=NS) and
35.5% (p=0.006), with 75% and 90% of the plaques, respectively, showing
regression from baseline
In subjects without a LRNC lesion at baseline (n5mg=7; n40mg=10), none developed
such a lesion after 2 yrs
Both rosuvastatin doses were well tolerated over 2 yrs
No deaths or treatment-related serious adverse events were reported
No subjects progressed to endarterectomy
ORION study
Results
Table 1. Subject demographic and baseline characteristics
Sex, Male, n (%)
Age, range, years (mean)
Current smoker, n (%)
Type 2 diabetes, n (%)
History of angina n (%)
Prior myocardial infarction, n (%)
Total cholesterol*, range, mmol/L (mean)
LDL-C*, range, mmol/L (mean)
Triglycerides*, range, mmol/L (mean)
HDL-C*, range, mmol/L (mean)
*intention-to-treat population
29 (67)
40-78 (65)
9 (21)
8 (19)
8 (19)
7 (16)
4.5-9.0 (6.2l
2.9-6.3 (4.0)
0.9-4.8 (2.1)
0.7-2.2 (1.2)
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T1-weighted images at baseline and after 2 years of
treatment with rosuvastatin 40 mg
Baseline
2 years
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Multi-contrast weighted images from the same subject
at one location
Baseline
2 years
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Reduction in LDL-C and lipid rich necrotic core
with rosuvastatin 5 mg and 40 mg
Mean change from baseline (%)
0
Rosuvastatin 5 mg
Rosuvastatin 40 mg
-10
-20
-30
-40
†
*
-50
-60
-70
LDL-C
%LRNC
*‡
* p <0.001 vs. baseline
† p <0.01 vs. baseline
‡ p <0.005 rosuvastatin 40 mg vs. rosuvastatin 5 mg
ORION study
Conclusions
• Our findings suggest that substantial LDL-C reduction with rosuvastatin is
associated with arrested progression of carotid atherosclerosis in
moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects, as assessed by non-invasive
MRI.
• Furthermore, intensive LDL-C lowering with rosuvastatin resulted in
regression of the proportion of the lipid-rich necrotic core in the most
diseased location of the atherosclerotic plaques.