It is known that Evolocumab is a valuable ally for those who have experienced a myocardial infarction or a stroke. In this context, the results of the VESALIUS-CV study open a new and exciting frontier in preventive medicine.
In this study, patients with atherosclerosis or diabetes and without a previous myocardial infarction or stroke were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive evolocumab or placebo.
Overall, the study showed that this PCSK9 inhibitor significantly reduced the risk of serious cardiovascular events, even in this subset of patients who have never suffered a myocardial infarction or stroke, but who have a high-risk profile due to diabetes or atherosclerosis.
In particular, Evolocumab led to a significant 25% relative risk reduction of major adverse cardiovascular events at a median follow-up of 4.6 years.
Moreover, this study provides robust support for the latest, more ambitious treatment targets: by achieving a median LDL-C level of 45 mg/dL, it lends weight to the scientific evidence pointing toward optimal values around 40 mg/dL for very high-risk patients.
What makes this discovery truly fascinating is the balance between effectiveness and safety, with an excellent tolerability profile, comparable to placebo. The findings of this study are an invitation to treat patients who have a high-risk cardiovascular profile earlier, aiming to low level of LDL-C.