The Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial: 11-year mortality follow-up of the lipid-lowering arm in the UK

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the outcome benefits in those originally assigned atorvastatin in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial—8 years after closure of the lipid-lowering arm (LLA) of the trial (ASCOT-LLA) among the UK population. ASCOT-LLA was a factorially designed double-blind placebo-controlled trial of atorvastatin in 10 305 hypertensive patients enrolled into the ASCOT-Blood Pressure Lowering Arm (BPLA) of the trial and with total cholesterol concentrations, at baseline, of n= 520 and 460 in placebo and atorvastatin, respectively) remained significantly lower in those originally assigned atorvastatin (HR 0.86, CI 0.76–0.98, P= 0.02). CV deaths were fewer, but not significant (HR 0.89, CI 0.72–1.11, P= 0.32) and non-CV deaths were significantly lower (HR 0.85, CI 0.73–0.99, P= 0.03) in those formerly assigned atorvastatin attributed to a reduction in deaths due to infection and respiratory illness. Legacy effects of those originally assigned atorvastatin may contribute to long-term benefits on all-cause mortality. An explanation for long-term benefits on non-CV deaths has not been established.