Statin and beta-blocker therapy and the initial presentation of coronary heart disease.
BACKGROUND
Coronary atherosclerosis develops slowly over decades but is frequently characterized clinically by sudden unstable episodes. Patients who present with unstable coronary disease, such as acute myocardial infarction, may systematically differ from patients who present with relatively stable coronary disease, such as exertional angina.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether medication use or patient characteristics influence the mode of initial clinical presentation of coronary disease.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
Large integrated health care delivery system in northern California.


METHODS
Adults whose first clinical presentation of coronary disease was either acute myocardial infarction (n = 916) or stable exertional angina (n = 468).


METHODS
Use of cardiac medications before the event from pharmacy databases and demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics from self-report and clinical and administrative databases.


RESULTS
Compared with patients with incident stable exertional angina, patients with incident acute myocardial infarction were more likely to be men, smokers, physically inactive, and hypertensive but were less likely to have a parental history of coronary disease. Patients presenting with myocardial infarction were much less likely to have received statins (19.3% vs. 40.4%; P < 0.001) and beta-blockers (19.0% vs. 47.7%; P < 0.001) than patients presenting with exertional angina. After adjustment for potential confounders, recent use of statins (adjusted odds ratio, 0.45 [95% CI, 0.32 to 0.62]) and beta-blockers (adjusted odds ratio, 0.26 [CI, 0.19 to 0.35]) was associated with lower likelihoods of presenting with an acute myocardial infarction than with stable angina.


CONCLUSIONS
This observational study did not have information on all possible confounding factors, including use of aspirin therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Statin and beta-blocker use was associated with lower odds of presenting with an acute myocardial infarction than with stable angina. Additional studies are needed to confirm that these therapies protect against unstable, higher-risk clinical presentations of coronary disease.
Go
Alan S
AS
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, Oakland, California 94612-2304, USA. Alan.S.Go@kp.org
Iribarren
Carlos
C
Chandra
Malini
M
Lathon
Phenius V
PV
Fortmann
Stephen P
SP
Quertermous
Thomas
T
Hlatky
Mark A
MA
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors