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No detrimental effect on renal function during long-term use of fluvastatin in renal transplant recipients in the Assessment of Lescol in Renal Transplantation (ALERT) study

Fellström B, Abedini S, Holdaas H, Jardine AG, Staffler B, Gimpelewicz C, Assessment of Lescol in Renal Transplantation (ALERT) study group

Clinical transplantation, 2006

1,052 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Concerns have recently been raised regarding a potential harmful effect of statins on renal function. This study investigated the effect of fluvastatin treatment on renal function in renal transplant recipients enrolled in the Assessment of Lescol in Renal Transplantation (ALERT) trial.

METHODS: ALERT was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effect of fluvastatin, 40-80 mg daily (n = 1050) or placebo (n = 1052) on cardiac and renal outcomes in renal transplant recipients over a follow-up period of five to six years. The incidence of graft loss, changes in serum creatinine, calculated creatinine clearance and proteinuria, and the incidence of renal adverse events (AEs) were assessed in both treatment groups.

RESULTS: Fluvastatin treatment in ALERT had no significant effect compared with placebo on renal function, assessed by serum creatinine (overall adjusted mean +/- SEM: fluvastatin, 175.4 +/- 2.20 micromol/L; placebo, 172.7 +/- 2.20 micromol/L; p = 0.39), creatinine clearance (fluvastatin, 55.3 +/- 0.30 mL/min; placebo, 55.8 +/- 0.30 mL/min; p = 0.26) or proteinuria (fluvastatin, 0.58 +/- 0.03 g/24 h; placebo, 0.53 +/- 0.03 g/24 h; p = 0.31). There were no significant differences between treatment groups when the 283 patients suffering graft loss were excluded from the analysis. Fluvastatin also had no detrimental effect on creatinine clearance or proteinuria in the subgroup of 340 diabetic patients without graft loss in ALERT. No notable…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 1,052 participants or records.

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