Articles

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol lowering in real-world patients treated with evolocumab

Nihar R. Desai, Rolin L. Wade, Pin Xiang, et al.

Journal: 

Clin Cardiol 2021; 44: 715– 722

First published: March 24, 2021  DOI: 10.1002/clc.23600

Abstract

Background

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). There are limited real-world data on LDL-C lowering with evolocumab in United States clinical practice.

Hypothesis

We assessed LDL-C lowering during 1 year of evolocumab therapy.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study used linked laboratory (Prognos) and medical claims (IQVIA Dx/LRx and PharMetrics Plus®) data. Patients with a first fill for evolocumab between 7/1/2015 and 10/31/2019 (index event) and LDL-C ≥ 70 mg/dL were included (overall cohort; N = 5897). Additionally, a patient subgroup with a recent myocardial infarction (MI) within 12 months (median 130 days) before the first evolocumab fill was identified (N = 152). Reduction from baseline LDL-C was calculated based on the lowest LDL-C value recorded during a 12-month follow-up period.

Results

The mean (SD) age was 65 (10) years; 61.9% of patients had ASCVD diagnoses and 70.7% of patients were in receipt of lipid-lowering therapy. Following evolocumab treatment, changes in LDL-C from baseline were −60% in the overall cohort (median [interquartile range (IQR)] 146 [115–180] mg/dL to 58 [36–84] mg/dL) and −65% in the recent MI subgroup (median [IQR] 137 [109–165] mg/dL to 48 [30–78] mg/dL). In the overall cohort and recent MI subgroup, 62.1% and 69.7% of patients achieved LDL-C < 70 mg/dL, respectively.

Conclusions

In this real-world analysis, evolocumab was associated with significant reductions in LDL-C comparable to that seen in the FOURIER clinical trial, which were durable over 1 year of treatment.


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