| Abstract | Coronary heart disease, hypertension, and dyslipidemia are highly prevalent and commonly coexist in people who are middle-aged and older. Previous data suggested that lowering cholesterol concentrations in individuals at high risk of cardiovascular disease improved clinical outcomes. Xuezhikang, a partial extract of red yeast rice containing statin, has a marked impact on lipids. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to evaluate the impact of Xuezhikang on reducing cardiovascular events and mortality in elderly Chinese hypertensive patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) enrolled in the Chinese Coronary Secondary Prevention Study. In this randomized trial, 1530 elderly hypertensive patients (> or = 65-years-old) with previous MI were assigned either to placebo (n = 758) or to Xuezhikang (n = 772) daily for an average of 4.5 years. The primary endpoint was recurrent coronary events; the secondary endpoint was all-cause mortality and other clinical events, including adverse effects. There were 68 cases of coronary events (8.8%) detected in the Xuezhikang group and 108 cases (14.3%) in the placebo group (38.2% risk reduction by Xuezhikang therapy). Death from coronary heart disease (CHD) totaled 49 cases in the Xuezhikang group (6.4%) and 68 cases in the placebo group (9.0%), indicating that Xuezhikang significantly decreased the risk of CHD death by 29.2%. Our study demonstrated that Xuezhikang therapy could effectively and safely reduce cardiovascular events and all-cause death in Chinese elderly hypertensive patients with previous MI. This finding may have an important implication for the treatment of elderly hypertensive patients with CHD. |
| Authors | Jian-Jun Li, Zong-Liang Lu, Wen-Rong Kou, Zuo Chen, Yang-Feng Wu, Xue-Hai Yu, Yu-Cheng Zhao, Chinese Coronary Secondary Prevention Study Group
(Affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100037, People's Republic of China. lijnjn at yahoo.com.cn)
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| Journal | Journal of clinical pharmacology
(J Clin Pharmacol)
Vol. 49
Issue 8
Pg. 947-56
(Aug 2009)
ISSN: 0091-2700 [Print] United States |
| PMID | 19602720
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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| Chemical References |
- Drugs, Chinese Herbal
- xuezhikang
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| Topics |
- Aged
- Cardiovascular Diseases
(mortality, prevention & control)
- Coronary Disease
(mortality, prevention & control)
- Double-Blind Method
- Drugs, Chinese Herbal
(adverse effects, therapeutic use)
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Hypertension
(complications, mortality)
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Myocardial Infarction
(complications, mortality)
- Risk Factors
- Treatment Outcome
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