Comparison Between Combined Therapy With Red Yeast Rice and Low-dose Statin and Standardized Statin: a Single-center, Non-inferiority, Randomized Clinical Trial
Double-dose statin regimen achieves merely 6% of decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, whereas the risk of side effects increased largely. The investigators' previous pilot study (NCT01686451) has suggested that red yeast rice was of similar lipid-lowering efficacy while was associated with less fatigue than statins. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined therapy with red yeast rice and low-dose atorvastatin in persons with mild atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and who qualified for statin therapy according to national guidelines.
• Patients with established mild atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, defined as coronary and/or carotid and/or peripheral artery lesions \<40% lumen diameter stenosis, diagnosed by coronary angiography and carotid and/or peripheral artery ultrasound respectively, together with LDL cholesterol level \> 70 mg/dL (1.80 mmol/L).
• Female patients must be postmenopausal as defined by no menstruation for at least 12 months, or surgically sterilized for at least three months prior to beginning the study, or have a negative pregnancy test and agree to avoid pregnancy during the study and one month after the end of the study by using two reliable methods of contraception.
• Patients must have been informed of all aspects of the study and signed an informed consent form before any study-related activities.
• Patients must be willing and able to comply with scheduled visits, treatment plan, laboratory tests, and other study procedures.