The MERCURY I trial was an open-label, randomized, multicenter, 5-arm, parallel-group switching study to compare the efficacy and safety of lipid-lowering agents atorvastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin in patients with hypercholesterolemia in Europe, Australia, and Canada.

Patients were required to have a history of CHD or other established atherosclerotic disease, type 2 diabetes or a 10-year CHD risk >20%; Fasting LDL-C 115 mg/dL, (³3.0 mmol/L) and TG 400 mg/dL (<4.5 mmol/L).

References:

1. Schuster H et al. Effects of switching statins on achievement of lipid goals: Measuring effective reductions in cholesterol using rosuvastatin therapy (MERCURY I) study. Am Heart J. 2004; 147: 705−712.

2. Stender S. Comparison of rosuvastatin with atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin in achieving cholesterol goals and improving plasma lipids in hypercholesterolaemic patients with or without the metabolic syndrome in the MERCURY I trial* Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. 2005;7:430–438.