Impact of Active vs Passive Statin Selection for Primary Prevention: The CorCal Vanguard Trial

Statins can improve outcomes in high-risk primary prevention populations. However, application in clinical practice has lagged.

The objective of this study was to compare an active vs a passive strategy (ie, usual care) to statin prescription for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).

A total of 3,770 patients ≥50 years of age without a history of ASCVD or statin use were invited to enroll in CorCal, with 601 consenting to participate. These patients were randomized 1:1 to statin initiation guided by the pooled cohort equation or by coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS). Outcomes (2.8-year follow-up) compared patients managed actively vs passively (randomly invited but declined or did not respond).

Patient demographics were well matched. Statin recommendation was common among enrolled patients (41.7%). During follow-up, 25.3% of active patients were taking a statin vs 9.8% managed passively (P < 0.0001). Active patients had more lipid panels (median 2.0 vs 1.0), lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (109 vs 117 mg/dL) (both P < 0.0001), and a low rate of major adverse cardiovascular events during follow-up (0.6% vs 1.0%, P = 0.47). Statistical comparisons included t-tests, chi-squared tests, nonparametric tests, and time-to-event tests as appropriate.

An active approach to statin selection for primary ASCVD prevention identified a large treatment opportunity and led to over twice as many patients on statins compared to passive (usual care) management. A large CorCal Outcomes Trial is underway to more definitively assess the impact on outcomes of active management of statins for primary prevention.