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 NEW! APOLLO Newsletter, Volume 4, 2007
The lipid-modifying agents in use today are very safe overall, but concerns about safety are a major cause of treatment nonadherence and discontinuation. Dr. Davidson provides a comprehensive overview of current evidence-based guidelines for the optimally safe and confident use of lipid therapies. Find out more in this issue of the APOLLO newsletter.
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 NEW! APOLLO Newsletter, Volume 3, 2007
Among the most newsworthy clinical trials presented in March of this year at the American College of Cardiology’s 56th Scientific Session were several that prompt a reevaluation of the role of lipid-modifying therapies that target high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These included studies of the HDL-C–raising agent torcetrapib, which bring up questions about that agent’s failure to provide clinical benefit despite its seemingly very favorable lipid effects, and of an investigational reconstituted-HDL agent that seems to show early promise. These trials, and the current status and prospects of therapies targeting HDL-C, are the topic of the expert-clinician interview in this issue. Also reviewed in this issue, with expert commentary as well as question-and-answer, are the results of the important COURAGE trial, which examined the benefit of percutaneous coronary intervention with optimal medical therapy, compared with optimal medical therapy alone, for patients with stable coronary artery disease. In addition, this issue’s featured article addresses a question that many have asked about current guidelines on the treatment of elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels: Should dietary change really be considered first-line therapy for all patients who need to lower their LDL-C levels?  APOLLO Newsletter, Volume 2, 2007
Among the late-breaking clinical trials revealed during the American Heart Association (AHA) 2006 Scientific Sessions were the results of the Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Atherosclerosis Using Pioglitazone (CHICAGO) study. In a multiethnic, multiracial population of patients with type 2 diabetes (N = 462), the CHICAGO study compared 2 oral antidiabetic agents, the thiazolidinedione (TZD), pioglitazone and the sulfonylurea, glimepiride, to determine whether the TZD had a beneficial cardiovascular (CV) effect independent of its antiglycemic effect. This issue reveals an investigator’s perspective on the CHICAGO results and their clinical implication obtained during an interview with APOLLO. Addressing nutrition, an integral part of therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC), are 2 articles: Under the “No Prescription Required” section, recent evidence suggesting that chocolate, coffee, and cocktails may have beneficial effects is evaluated. Additionally, the controversies surrounding trans fats are explored. A detailed review of the findings from several key CV clinical trials and an in-depth commentary on their significance are presented in this issue.  Late-Breaking Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Trials
In 2005, final results were reported from a number of clinical trials designed to refine the insights gained in the landmark lipid studies of the 1990s. Some of the trials enrolled special high-risk patient groups, such as renal transplant recipients and patients with diabetes and end-stage renal disease or a history of coronary artery disease.  Late-Breaking Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Trials
Under current guidelines, therapeutic lifestyle changes are the first-line modality for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reducing coronary artery disease risk, and treatment with a statin is first-line pharmacotherapy. For some patients, however, combination drug treatment may be deemed necessary to achieve lipid therapy goals, despite the scarcity
of data on combination therapy outcomes. This newsletter addresses the identification of patients who may benefit from combination therapy and the choice of appropriate drugs to reach particular treatment goals. It also reviews recently reported findings of important cardiovascular disease clinical trials..  APOLLO Newsletter, Volume 1, 2007
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) recently issued an updated revision of their guidelines for secondary prevention for patients with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease. The last version of the guidelines was published in 2001. The 2006 update is notable as the first set of approved guidelines that takes account of the large body of evidence that has accrued from the major cardiovascular clinical trials of the last several years. APOLLO interviewed Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson- UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center and Heart Failure Program, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, in Los Angeles, who was a member of the AHA/ACC guideline writing group.  Safety Considerations When Prescribing Statins
There is probably no preventive-medicine concern that is more on every patient’s and physician’s mind than how to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease and death. Under current guidelines, therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) are the first-line modality for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reducing coronary artery disease risk, and treatment with a statin is first-line pharmacotherapy. However, TLC goals are often as ambitious as they are currently unrealized.  Coronary Heart Disease in Special Populations
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the world today. Research is currently being done on various methods to help reduce the incidence of CVD. This newsletter will address the...
 APOLLO Newsletter, Volume 2: 2004
Cardiovascular disease combines a multitude of etiological factors and remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Research in the areas of primary and secondary prevention is progressing.
 APOLLO Newsletter, Volume 1: 2004
The benefits of aggressive, long-term lipid management to reduce coronary and cardiovascular risk are well established. Despite the evidence of benefit, however, cholesterol management remains underimplemented, even in the patients at highest risk for cardiovascular events. 1,2 Based on estimates from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 75% of the 9.3 million US patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels remain either untreated or undertreated.
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