Pemafibrate Effectively Reduced Triglycerides in Patients with a History of PCI or CABG

Abstract

Strict control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels is important for secondary prevention of angina pectoris and acute myocardial infarction; although it may not be as important as LDL levels, high plasma triglyceride (TG) levels have also been reported to be a risk factor for secondary coronary events [1][2][3] . Given that LDL can be adequately controlled with statins, ezetimibe, and PCSK9 inhibitors, treatment of the remaining risk factor, hypertriglyceridemia, is considered important. We report the results of a 2-year follow-up study of lipid levels in high-risk patients with dyslipidemia, a history of coronary artery disease (CAD), and previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Patients and methodsThe study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the research protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the institution.Forty-six patients (male, n = 38; female, n = 8; mean age 68 years) with a history of angina pectoris or myocardial infarction and a TG concentration of 150 mg/dl or higher in an ambulatory blood draw were included. According to the 2017 Japan Atherosclerosis Society (JAS) guidelines, hypertriglyceridemia was defined only as a fasting level ≥ 150 mg/dl. The 2022 guidelines defi ne hypertriglyceridemia as a fasting level of ≥ 150 mg/dl and a level of ≥ 175 mg/dl at any time of day. Because this study began prior to the issuance of the 2022 guidelines and due to the fact that several patients did not undergo strict fasting blood draws, the criterion of 150 mg/dl or higher was utilized.