Relations of GlycA and lipoprotein particle subspecies with cardiovascular events and mortality: A post hoc analysis of the AIM-HIGH trial.

BACKGROUND: The Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes trial showed no incremental benefit of extended-release niacin (ERN) therapy added to simvastatin in subjects with cardiovascular disease (CVD). OBJECTIVES: To examine the effects of ERN treatment on lipoprotein particles and GlycA, a new marker of systemic inflammation, and their relations with incident CVD events including mortality. METHODS: GlycA and very low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particle subclasses were quantified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy using available stored baseline (n = 2754) and 1-year in-trial (n = 2581) samples. Associations with CVD events and all-cause mortality were assessed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, treatment assignment, and lipoproteins. RESULTS: Compared to placebo, ERN treatment lowered very low-density lipoprotein and LDL and increased HDL particle concentrations, increased LDL and HDL particle sizes (all P < .0001), but did not affect GlycA. Baseline and in-trial GlycA levels were associated with increased risk of CVD events: hazard ratio (HR) per SD increment, 1.17 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.28) and 1.13 (1.02-1.26), respectively. However, none of the lipoprotein particle classes or subclasses was associated with incident CVD. By contrast, all-cause mortality was significantly associated with both GlycA (baseline HR: 1.46 [1.22-1.75]; in-trial HR: 1.41 [1.24-1.60]) and low levels of small HDL particles (baseline HR: 0.69 [0.56-0.86]; in-trial HR: 0.69 [0.56-0.86]). CONCLUSIONS: This Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglycerides and Impact on Global Health Outcomes trial post hoc substudy indicates that inflammation, as indexed by GlycA, is unaffected by ERN treatment but is significantly associated with the residual risk of CVD and death in patients treated to low levels of LDL cholesterol.

Effects of aspirin dose when used alone or in combination with clopidogrel in patients with acute coronary syndromes: observations from the Clopidogrel in Unstable angina to prevent Recurrent Events (CURE) study.

BACKGROUND: We studied the benefits and risks of adding clopidogrel to different doses of aspirin in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS AND RESULTS: In the Clopidogrel in Unstable angina to prevent Recurrent Events (CURE) trial, 12 562 patients with ACS using aspirin, 75 to 325 mg daily, were randomized to clopidogrel or placebo for up to 1 year. In this analysis, patients were divided into the following 3 aspirin dose groups: < or =100 mg, 101 through 199 mg, and > or =200 mg. The combined incidence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke was reduced by clopidogrel regardless of aspirin dose, as follows: < or =100 mg, 10.5% versus 8.6% (relative risk [RR], 0.81 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.97]); 101 to 199 mg, 9.8% versus 9.5% (RR, 0.97 [95% CI 0.77 to 1.22]); and > or =200 mg, 13.6% versus 9.8% (RR, 0.71 [95% CI, 0.59 to 0.85]). The incidence of major bleeding increased with increasing aspirin dose both in the placebo group (1.9%, 2.8%, and 3.7%, respectively; P=0.0001) and the clopidogrel group (3.0%, 3.4%, and 4.9%, respectively; P=0.0009); thus, the excess risk with clopidogrel was 1.1%, 1.2%, and 1.2%, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio for major bleeding for the highest versus the lowest dose of aspirin was 1.9 (95% CI 1.29 to 2.72) in the placebo group, 1.6 (95% CI 1.19 to 2.23) in the clopidogrel group, and 1.7 (95% CI 1.36 to 2.20) in the combined group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ACS, adding clopidogrel to aspirin is beneficial regardless of aspirin dose. Bleeding risks increase with increasing aspirin dose, with or without clopidogrel, without any increase in efficacy. Our findings suggest that the optimal daily dose of aspirin may be between 75 and 100 mg, with or without clopidogrel.