The JUPITER and AURORA clinical trials for rosuvastatin in special primary prevention populations: perspectives, outcomes, and consequences

Statins have emerged at the forefront of preventive cardiology and have significantly reduced cardiovascular events and mortality. Nonetheless, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and in other developed countries, as well as the etiology of significant morbidity and health-care expenditure. In an attempt to reduce potentially missed opportunities for instituting preventive therapy, the JUPITER study (Justification for the Use of Statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin) and the AURORA study (A Study to Evaluate the Use of Rosuvastatin in Subjects on Regular Hemodialysis: An Assessment of Survival and Cardiovascular Events) examined the effect of statins in two specific patient populations who currently do not meet the guidelines for statin treatment, but nonetheless, are at high cardiovascular risk. This review outlines the JUPITER and AURORA trials, interprets the data and significance of the results, analyses the drawbacks and impact of both trials and delineates the potential for further clinical trials.