Episode Details

The CAVIAR trial investigated whether adding the drug alirocumab to standard statin therapy could prevent artery disease in heart transplant recipients, a common cause of post-transplant mortality. While the study confirmed that this combination drastically lowered "bad" cholesterol levels without causing safety concerns, it failed to show a significant clinical benefit regarding physical heart health. Specifically, researchers discovered that the volume of arterial plaque continued to increase regardless of whether patients received the additional medication or a placebo. Ultimately, the study concludes that for patients who already have relatively low cholesterol, the intensive reduction provided by alirocumab does not slow the progression of vascular damage within the first year of recovery.