Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 30, 2026

Rapid Point-of-Care Assay of Enoxaparin Anticoagulant Efficacy in Whole Blood
11:17

Rapid Point-of-Care Assay of Enoxaparin Anticoagulant Efficacy in Whole Blood

Published on: October 12, 2012

Cost effectiveness of HMG-CoA reductase inhibition in Canada

M W Russell1, D M Huse, J D Miller

  • 1ICSL Healthcare Research, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451-7341, USA. mason.russell@icsltd.net

The Canadian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology = Journal Canadien De Pharmacologie Clinique
|April 3, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Atorvastatin is the most cost-effective statin for preventing coronary artery disease (CAD) in Canada. It offers greater health benefits at a lower cost compared to other statins and no drug therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Health Economics
  • Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) poses a significant health burden in Canada.
  • Statins, including HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, are widely used for CAD prevention.
  • Assessing the cost-effectiveness of different statin therapies is crucial for healthcare resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of atorvastatin compared to other statins and no therapy for primary and secondary prevention of CAD in Canada.
  • To identify the most economically viable statin treatment strategy for CAD prevention.

Main Methods:

  • A Markov model was employed to compare the costs and effectiveness of atorvastatin against other statins (simvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, lovastatin) and no drug therapy.
  • Patient risk profiles were defined by CAD status, age, sex, LDL cholesterol, and coronary risk factors, using Framingham Heart Study equations and Canadian data.
  • Costs associated with CAD-related medical care in Canada were incorporated into the model.

Main Results:

  • Atorvastatin demonstrated the lowest incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (CDN$/year of life gained) across all risk profiles when compared to no therapy.
  • Atorvastatin proved to be more effective and less costly than lovastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin for both primary and secondary CAD prevention.
  • Compared to fluvastatin, atorvastatin provided additional health benefits at a reduced cost per year of life gained.

Conclusions:

  • Atorvastatin emerged as the most cost-effective statin option for both primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in the Canadian context.
  • The findings support the use of atorvastatin as a preferred pharmacoeconomic strategy for CAD management.
Abstract

More Related Videos

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings19:57

An Affordable HIV-1 Drug Resistance Monitoring Method for Resource Limited Settings

Published on: March 30, 2014

Evaluation of the Efficacy And Toxicity of RNAs Targeting HIV-1 Production for Use in Gene or Drug Therapy12:03

Evaluation of the Efficacy And Toxicity of RNAs Targeting HIV-1 Production for Use in Gene or Drug Therapy

Published on: September 5, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins01:30

Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins

Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence01:22

Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence

Generic intravenous (IV) drugs are considered bioequivalent to their branded counterparts due to their 100% bioavailability upon administration. However, variations in stability among different drug products can significantly influence their therapeutic performance, even if they are pharmaceutically equivalent.Cefuroxime, a prophylactic antimicrobial, is often used as a single-dose IV injection for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. A 3 g dose typically provides...
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care01:29

Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care

Venous thrombosis requires effective prevention and treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce potential complications.Prevention StrategiesHealthcare providers must prioritize preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) for all adult patients upon admission. Interventions depend on bleeding and thrombosis risk, medical history, current medications, diagnoses, planned procedures, and patient preferences. Patients on bed rest should change positions every two hours and, if not...