Liraglutide reduces cardiovascular events and mortality in type 2 diabetes mellitus independently of baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and statin use results from the LEADER trial
The causal relationship between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular events has been well established. In people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, LDL-C lowering with statins is strongly endorsed by clinical practice guidelines, with suggested LDL-C target levels including <100 mg/dL for high-risk patients, <70 mg/dL for very high-risk patients, and ≤55 mg/dL in patients with cardiovascular disease at extreme risk.2 Because LDL-C is a dominant pathophysiological mechanism of atherogenesis, questions pertain to whether newer antiatherosclerotic and cardiovascular protective therapies exhibit efficacy, even in the setting of low LDL-C. In this post hoc analysis of the LEADER trial, we evaluated the efficacy of liraglutide on cardiovascular outcomes and mortality across the spectrum of baseline LDL-C and statin use
