Role of statins in the management of dyslipidemia after cardiac transplant: Randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy and the safety of atorvastatin with pravastatin

Background: Cardiac transplant patients are at increased risk of dyslipidemia, a known pathogenetic factor in chronic rejection. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and the safety of treatment with atorvastatin (AT) and treatment with pravastatin (PV) in a population of dyslipidemic transplant patients. Methods: Thirty-nine transplant patients were randomized to receive a 4-month cycle of therapy with AT or PV, in a cross-over sequence. We analyzed the effects on their lipid profiles using Student t-test for paired data. Results and Conclusion: Atorvastatin was significantly more effective than PV in reducing total cholesterol (33% vs 21%, p < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (45% vs 30%. p = 0,001), and triglycerides (24% vs 7.7%, p < 0.001), at lower doses and with comparable tolerability and safety.