Effects of celiprolol and simvastatin on the calculated risk of coronary heart disease (the Celisimva study)

Abstract

Objectives: The most important risk factors for coronary heart disease are hypercholesterolemia, smoking and hypertension. To find out which treatment is more effective in modifying the total risk--lowering cholesterol concentration or using antihypertensive treatment--we conducted a parallel group placebo-controlled study. The goal of the study was to assess the effect of two drugs on the calculated CHD Framingham risk score in subjects with both moderate hypertension and moderate hypercholesterolemia.

Design: Celiprolol for hypertension and simvastatin for cholesterol-lowering were given as monotherapy or as combination treatment. The effects of the treatments on the CHD risk scores were calculated after 3 months. A total of 112 patients were randomized.

Results: The total CHD risk decreased in simvastatin and combination groups from 26% to 19% and from 26% to 17%, respectively. Celiprolol alone decreased the risk from 25% to 21%, which was not statistically different from placebo.

Conclusions: It can be concluded that subjects with moderate hypercholesterolemia and hypertension benefit more from lipid-lowering treatment with simvastatin than from blood pressure-lowering with beta blocker celiprolol.