title: The effects of lipid-lowering therapy on graft patency in coronary bypass surgery patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to investigate the effects of lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) on graft patency in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 209 CABG patients (95 men, 45%) with a total cholesterol level above 200 mg/dL and a low-density lipoprotein level above 100 mg/dL were included. Patients were divided into 2 groups on the basis of administration of LLT after CABG: group 1 received LLT after the operation (those patients undergoing operations after 1998, n = 102, 49% male) and group 2 did not receive LLT after the operation (those patients undergoing operations between 1992 and 1998, n = 107, 42% male). Median duration of follow-up was 5.2 years. Follow-up angiography could be obtained in 108 (52%) patients (56 in group 1, 52 in group 2).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a 42% reduction in ischemic events and deaths in group 1, and 60% of these patients had a symptom-free or event-free period for 6 years. The 5-year graft patency for left internal mammary artery-to-left anterior descending artery grafts in group 1 was 95%, and the corresponding figure was 90% in group 2. Right coronary artery-to-saphenous vein graft patency was 66% for group 1 and 30% for group 2. Circumflex artery-to-saphenous vein patency rate was 59% for group 1 and 53% for group 2. A higher graft patency was found in group 1 as a whole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this retrospective study support the fact that LLT provides a higher graft patency for CABG patients.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Gulhane Haydarpasa Military Teaching Hospital, Kadikoy, Istanbul, Turkey. mutasimsungun@yahoo.com
authors: Mutasim
authors: M
authors: Sungun
authors: Melih Hulusi
authors: MH
authors: Us
authors: Rifat Eralp
authors: RE
authors: Ulusoy
authors: Ozcan
authors: O
authors: Keskin
authors: Sibel
authors: S
authors: Pocan
authors: Kaan
authors: K
authors: Inan
authors: Ahmet Turan
authors: AT
authors: Yilmaz