title: Preoperative lipid-control with simvastatin reduces the risk of postoperative thrombocytosis and thrombotic complications following CABG.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has earlier been suggested that postoperative thrombocytosis frequently occur after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and may be linked to lipid disturbances. A prospective randomized study was undertaken to evaluate if preoperative lipid-control, using HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitor (Zocor), simvastatin, reduces the risk of postoperative thrombocytosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-seven patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease and hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol > or =6.2 mmol/l), planned for CABG where randomly assigned to; undergo CABG without preoperation lipid control (group I, n = 37) or undergo simvastatin-treatment (20 mg daily) to control their lipids (4 weeks) prior to CABG (group II, n = 40).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient characteristics and operation data did not differ between the groups. Serum-cholesterol, cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, Apolipoprotein A1 and Plasminogen were all significantly higher in group I patients compared with group II just prior to surgery. Other laboratory parameters did not differ.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In group II, total cholesterol and cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol quota were significantly lowered by simvaststin (-2 and -29%, respectively). Postoperative thrombocytosis (platelet counts > or =400000/microl) occurred significantly more frequently in group I 81% (30/37) compared with 3% (1/40) in group II, P<0.0001. Myocardial infarction after the 7th postoperative day was more often diagnosed in group I, 14 vs. 0% in group II. Postoperative transient renal failure occurred also more frequently in group I, 24% compared with 8% in group II. Other postoperative complications and laboratory data did not differ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study once again underlines the importance of lipid control using HMG-CoA-reductase inhibitors (e.g. Zocor) in patients with established coronary artery disease. For the first time it is shown that lipid-control with simvastatin prior to CABG reduces the risk of postoperative thrombocytosis, thus lowers the risk for thrombotic complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hôpital de la Tour, Meyrin-Geneva, Switzerland. jtchristenson@latour.ch
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Christenson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013922:Thrombocytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D019821:Simvastatin; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases