Atorvastatin reduces the risk for a first major cardiovascular event by more than one third in people with Type 2 diabetes, including people with normal cholesterol levels, according to a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

The Collaborative AtoRvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS) was conducted in the United Kingdom and Ireland and involved 2,838 people with type 2 diabetes who were randomized to placebo or 10 mg daily atorvastatin. Eligible patients had no previous history of heart disease or stroke, but were allowed some cardiovascular risk factors other than diabetes.

The study was due to run until 2005 but was stopped in June 2003 when interim results showed a significant reduction in the risk of myocardial infarctions, strokes, or need for cardiovascular surgery in participants on atorvastatin.
The researchers found that atorvastatin reduced the risk of a major cardiovascular event by 37 percent; for instance, serious heart problems were reduced by more than one third (36 percent) and strokes by almost half (48 percent). Importantly, these benefits were observed even amongst patients whose LDL-cholesterol levels were already quite low before treatment.

Professor John Betteridge, CARDS co-principal investigator said, "This exciting study has very important implications for the cardiovascular health of people with Type 2 diabetes. For all patients with Type 2 diabetes consideration should now be given to whether they warrant statin therapy. What this study shows is in this case, atorvastatin treatment is safe and highly effective at reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease."

The study was the first clinical trial specifically designed to investigate the effectiveness of cholesterol lowering with a statin in people with Type 2 diabetes who had no baseline history of heart disease or stroke.