The efficacy of atorvastatin in treating patients with hypercholesterolaemia to target LDL-cholesterol goals: the LIPI-GOAL trial

Objective - LIPI-GOAL is a multicentre, open-label, non-comparative treat-to-target study, conducted from March 1998 to May 1999, that assessed the percentage of patients reaching 1992 European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) targets with atorvastatin 10-80 mg/day in subjects with hypercholesterolaemia, defined as LDL-C > 160 mg/dl after a 12-week step I diet. Methods and results - Patients were treated towards the following LDL-C goals: 40%/10 years, or LDL-C 40%/10 years. Dose titration was not needed in 303 patients (72%) who reached LDL-C target with atorvastatin IO mg/day. Among 116 patients who were subsequently treated with higher atorvastatin dosages, 47 reached LDL-C target with 20 mg/day, 15 with 40 mg/day, and 6 with 80 mg/day. Therefore, 88.5% of subjects reached LDL-C goal in an intention-to-treat analysis. In general, atorvastatin was well tolerated. Conclusions - Most patients at high risk for CHD reached LDL-C goals with atorvastatin 10-80 mg/day. Seventy-two % of patients reached target with atorvastatin 10 mg/day, which may simplify clinical management and should encourage better adherence to recommendations