Statins Reduce Risks of Heart Patients in Hospital

Patients who begin aggressive statin therapy while in the hospital for acute coronary syndromes (ACS) have a significantly greater chance of long-term survival, according to
a new study.

Combining data from nine randomized clinical trials and evaluating clinical outcomes individually rather than in combination, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (OH, USA) examined data from more than 16,000 hospital-admitted patients with ACS, a term that encompasses both unstable chest pain (angina) and a particular form of heart attack. In each of the original studies, patients were randomly assigned to either maximal-dose statin therapy during the hospital stay or to a more conservative approach that consisted of low-dose statin therapy or a placebo.

Early, aggressive statin therapy reduced the risk of death by 22% and the risk of cardiovascular death by 25%, over a follow-up period that averaged 15 months. Further analysis showed that for every 111 patients who were treated with early statin therapy, one life could be saved. Early statin therapy also reduced the risk of another episode of unstable angina by 17% and the need for revascularization or coronary bypass surgery by 9%. The improvement in survival was noticeable early on but became statistically certain only after six months of statin therapy. The study was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions in Chicago (IL, USA) in May 2006.

"We found that there was a benefit in what matters most--survival,” said lead author Dr. Anthony Bavry, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. "The benefits keep accruing; once a patient has acute coronary syndrome, there may not be a safe time to discontinue this medication.”

Statins are primarily used to lower cholesterol levels in the blood, but they have other effects as well, including the ability to reduce inflammation in the arteries.



Related Links:
Cleveland Clinic Foundation