RESULTS: Patients randomized to
losartan-based or
atenolol-based treatment had similar baseline total (6.04 +/- 1.12 vs. 6.05 +/- 1.13 mmol/l, NS) and
high-density lipoprotein (
HDL) cholesterol (1.50 +/- 0.44 vs. 1.49 +/- 0.44 mmol/l, NS). Total
cholesterol decreased significantly but equally (-0.37 +/- 1.05 vs. -0.34 +/- 1.09 mmol/l, NS), whereas
HDL cholesterol decreased less during the first 2 years in patients randomized to
losartan compared with
atenolol (-0.13 +/- 0.24 vs. -0.19 +/- 0.25 mmol/l) and remained higher each year (1.38, 1.37, 1.42, 1.47, and 1.48 mmol/l vs. 1.32, 1.30, 1.36, 1.40, and 1.42 mmol/l, all P < 0.001) independent of
hydrochlorothiazide or
statin treatment. In Cox regression analysis, baseline total
cholesterol [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.08 (1.02-1.14) per mmol/l, P < 0.01],
HDL cholesterol [HR = 0.56 (0.48-0.66) per mmol/l, P < 0.001], and treatment allocation [HR = 0.86 (0.76-0.98), P < 0.05] predicted composite endpoint independently. Using time-varying analyses, the predictive strength of
HDL cholesterol was increased [HR = 0.36 (0.30-0.44) per mmol/l, P < 0.001], whereas that of total
cholesterol [HR = 1.03 (0.97-1.09) per mmol/l, NS] and treatment allocation [HR = 0.91 (0.80-1.03), NS] were reduced.
CONCLUSION: