Triglyceride-lowering trial neutral for cardiovascular event reduction

Levels of triglycerides are routinely measured as part of a preventive cardiology work-up and lowering triglycerides with several classes of drugs is common medical practice. Yet, in a major randomized trial of the novel drug pemafibrate, researchers found no reduction in rates of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death over a five-year period, despite the drug lowering triglycerides by 26 percent compared to placebo. The study was led by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, and included more than 10,000 participants. The new data were presented today at the annual meetings of the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.