Effect of combination therapy with simvastatin and carvedilol in patients with left ventricular dysfunction complicated with acute myocardial infarction who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.
BACKGROUND
This study assessed the effects of combination therapy with simvastatin and carvedilol on clinical outcome in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).


RESULTS
The study retrospectively analyzed the data from 672 patients with LV dysfunction [LV ejection fraction (LVEF) <40%] complicated with AMI who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The patients were divided into 4 treatment groups: combination group (n=160), simvastatin only group (n=216), carvedilol only group (n=242), neither treatment group (n=54). At 6 months after PCI, the LVEF had improved most significantly in the combination group. During 1-year follow-up, cardiac death occurred most frequently in the neither treatment group compared with the other 3 groups (combination: 4%, simvastatin alone: 7%, carvedilol alone: 8%, neither: 17%, p<0.001 between neither treatment and other 3 groups). The results on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) showed that the combination of simvastatin and carvedilol was associated with a relative risk reduction of 53% (p<0.001), treatment with simvastatin alone with a relative risk reduction of 44% (p=0.001), and carvedilol alone with a relative risk reduction of 40% (p=0.003) compared with neither treatment. The independent predictors of 1-year MACE were neither treatment, elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein (> or =0.5 mg/dl), and old age (>70 years).


CONCLUSIONS
Combination therapy with simvastatin and carvedilol had a positive impact on the endpoints of cardiovascular death and MACE and seems to have an additive beneficial effect on these endpoints in patients with LV dysfunction complicated with AMI who underwent PCI.
Hong
Young Joon
YJ
The Heart Center of Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam National University Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Gwangju, Korea.
Jeong
Myung Ho
MH
Hwang
Sun Ho
SH
Yun
Nam Sik
NS
Lee
Sang Rok
SR
Hong
Seo Na
SN
Kim
Kye Hun
KH
Park
Hyung Wook
HW
Kim
Ju Han
JH
Ahn
Youngkeun
Y
Cho
Jeong Gwan
JG
Park
Jong Chun
JC
Kang
Jung Chaee
JC
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D002227:Carbazoles / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077261:Carvedilol; D003643:Death; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011412:Propanolamines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality
D002227:Carbazoles; D011412:Propanolamines; D000077261:Carvedilol; D019821:Simvastatin