[Prognosis at six months for coronary patients: impact of antiplatelet agents and statins].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the PREVENIR III study was to assess, in secondary prevention, the risk after six months of subsequent coronary and cerebrovascular events.


METHODS
A prospective observational survey, including patients diagnosed with previous myocardial infarction, unstable angina or ischemic stroke, was carried out by French general practitioners and cardiologists.


RESULTS
9556 patients were selected by 3746 physicians representative of French physicians. The medical records of 6859 patients with previous unstable angina or myocardial infarction were analyzed. After a 6-month follow-up, 84 patients (1.2%) had been hospitalized for coronary or cerebrovascular event i.e. cumulative incidence 3.1 per 100 person-years (95% CI 2.4-3.8) and 67 patients died (1.0%) i.e. 2.5 per 100 person-years (95% CI 1.9-3.1). Patients treated with statins and antiplatelet agents were less likely to undergo subsequent vascular events (relative risk: 0.35; 95% CI 0.20-0.61) than patients not receiving statins or antiplatelet agents. All-cause mortality rate decreased dramatically (relative risk: 0.32; 95% CI 0.16-0.65) in patients treated with a combination of statins and antiplatelet agents when compared to patients treated with neither statins nor antiplatelet agents.


CONCLUSIONS
This work enabled a better understanding of the prognosis at six months in a large sample of coronary patients. We observed the beneficial impact of the combination of statins and antiplatelet agents in secondary prevention.
Ferrières
Jean
J
Unité de prévention de l'athérosclérose, service de cardiologie B, CHU Rangueil, TSA 50032, 31059 Toulouse 9, France. jean.ferrieres@cict.fr
Cambou
Jean-Pierre
JP
Cantet
Christelle
C
Guize
Louis
L
D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors