Statin Therapy May Reduce Recurrent Coronary Events

A study has shown that patients with acute coronary syndrome who were given statin therapy (pravastatin) immediately after the onset of symptoms had a significantly reduced risk of suffering a recurrent coronary event. In addition, the study demonstrated that statin therapy significantly slowed the progression of atherosclerosis in these patients. The results of the study were published in the December issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.

Acute coronary syndrome is a term for a series of cardiovascular events such as an acute heart attack, unstable angina, or sudden cardiac arrest. The randomized study involved two groups. Patients in one group were prescribed pravastatin, and patients in another group were given antilipidemic therapy at the discretion of their family doctor. Pravastatin treatment was given on average six days after the coronary event. All patients were followed for 24 months.

"The L-CAD trial now provides physicians with new information that confirms that early and aggressive therapy with pravastatin in ACS patients reduces the risk of recurring events, and causes the regression of coronary lesions,” said Hans-Richard Arntz, M.D., lead investigator of the study, conducted at the Benjamin Franklin Medical Center, Free University, Berlin (Germany).