Can statins reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac vascular surgery?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether statins can reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac vascular surgery.


METHODS
A search using Pubmed was performed to identify reports in English. The search terms were: "statins", "perioperative morbidity", "perioperative mortality" and "vascular surgery". We excluded studies dealing with the effect of statins in cardiac surgery. Retrieved articles were manually searched.


RESULTS
Current evidence shows that statins decrease perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac vascular surgery. Any benefit probably occurs soon (within a month) after initiating treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Appropriately designed trials need to confirm the beneficial effect of perioperative statin therapy in various patient categories. The optimal duration and dose of perioperative statin therapy should be defined.
Paraskevas
K I
KI
Department of Vascular Surgery, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece.
Liapis
C D
CD
Hamilton
G
G
Mikhailidis
D P
DP
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008790:Metoprolol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009017:Morbidity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality*
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008790:Metoprolol