CARDIOVASCULAR: - COURAGE Trial: Optimal Medical Therapy Alone is Sufficient for Patients with Stable Angina: Adding PCI Does Not Help; - ILLUSTRATE Study Shows Torcetrapib Raises HDL But Fails to Lower Coronary Risk - ILLUSTRATE Study Shows Torcetrapib Raises HDL But Fails to Lower Coronary Risk

Audio Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine - COURAGE Trial: Optimal Medical Therapy Alone is Sufficient for Patients with Stable Angina: Adding PCI Does Not Help - ILLUSTRATE Study Shows Torcetrapib Raises HDL But Fails to Lower Coronary Risk REFERENCE: N Engl J Med 2007 356 Published: March 26th Reporting from: American College of Cardiology New Orleans STEVEN NISSEN, Cleveland Clinic, OH Two big studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented simultaneously at the American College of Cardiology meeting in New Orleans have shown that two emerging therapies aimed at reducing risks in patients with coronary disease have failed to do so. The president of the ACC, Steven Nissen, talked with Peter Goodwin about the COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation) trial, in which patients with stable coronary artery disease were randomized to receive optimal medical therapy with or without PCI. He also discussed findings of the ILLUSTRATE (Investigation of Lipid Level Management Using Coronary Ultrasound to Assess Reduction of Atherosclerosis by CETP Inhibition and HDL Elevation) study in which the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor, torcetrapib was found to have adverse effects when used for modifying lipid profiles among coronary patients.