Comparison of rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin in Hispanic-Americans with hypercholesterolemia (from the STARSHIP trial).

In a multicenter, open-label trial, 696 Hispanic patients with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels > or =130 and < or =300 mg/dl and triglyceride levels <400 mg/dl at medium or high risk of coronary heart disease were randomized to receive 10 or 20 mg of rosuvastatin or 10 or 20 mg of atorvastatin for 6 weeks. At week 6, LDL cholesterol was decreased more by 10 mg of rosuvastatin than by 10 mg of atorvastatin (45% vs 36%, p <0.0001) and more by 20 mg of rosuvastatin than by 20 mg of atorvastatin (50% vs 42%, p <0.0001). Significantly greater decreases were also observed with rosuvastatin for total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein-B, and lipid ratios compared with milligram-equivalent doses of atorvastatin. Overall, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Program III LDL cholesterol goals were achieved by 78% and 88% of patients who received 10 and 20 mg of rosuvastatin and by 60% and 73% of patients who received 10 and 20 mg of atorvastatin, respectively. Among high-risk patients, the LDL cholesterol goal of <100 mg/dl was achieved by 74% and 91% of patients who received 10 and 20 mg of rosuvastatin and by 52% and 62% who received 10 and 20 mg of atorvastatin, respectively. All treatments were well tolerated, and adverse events were similar in frequency across treatment groups. No cases of myopathy or rhabdomyolysis were observed. In conclusion, treatment with rosuvastatin and atorvastatin produced beneficial lipid changes in this group of Hispanic patients that appear comparable in magnitude to those observed in primarily non-Hispanic white study populations. These benefits were accompanied by a favorable safety profile that suggests no concerns particular to this population.