In a nutshell
This paper studied the effect of high-dose statin treatment on preventing heart attacks in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Some background
PCI is a non-surgical procedure used to treat narrowed coronary arteries (the arteries of the heart). However, a common complication of the procedure is heart attacks. Statins are a group of drugs that are widely used to reduce cholesterol and prevent heart attacks. Studies suggest that a high dose of statin given to patients before PCI may reduce the occurrence of heart attack.
Methods & findings
The authors reviewed 23 studies including 5311 patients, on high-dose statin treatment prior to PCI. The rates of post-PCI heart attack were measured.
A high-dose statin treatment prior to PCI caused a 55% reduction in heart attacks around the time of the procedure.
Specific groups of patients were also studied. Among patients with stable angina (chest pain on exertion), high-dose statin treatment caused a 58% reduction in occurrence of heart attack. In patients with acute coronary syndrome (blocked blood supply to the heart), high-dose statin treatment was associated with a 57% reduction in heart attacks.
Among patients who had never received statin before, high-dose statin treatment caused a 55% reduction in heart attack. Among patients who had statin treatment before, high-dose statin treatment was associated with a 54% relative reduction in heart attack.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that high-dose statin treatment before PCI reduced the occurrence of heart attack.
What’s next?
Talk to your doctor about receiving statin treatment before a PCI procedure.
Published By :
Clinical cardiology
Date :
Oct 07, 2015
