Low incidence of cardiac events in statin-administered patients in CAG study.
OBJECTIVE
The effect of statins in preventing cardiac events in Japanese coronary artery disease (CAD) patients was studied in a retrospective investigation of 148 patients diagnosed with CAD by coronary angiography (CAG).


METHODS
Sixty-five patients received statins within 2 weeks after CAG, and 83 patients did not receive statins after CAG.


RESULTS
In the statin group, total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were reduced significantly with statin administration (p<0.01). In the non-statin group, baseline levels of TC, LDL-C and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were not changed significantly at the end of the follow-up period. As for the effect of statin in preventing cardiac events, the incidence of cardiac events was significantly lower (p<0.0003) in the statin group (n=5: 8%) than in the non-statin group (n=28: 34%). In subanalysis of 37 patients whose TC at the time of initial CAG was less than 200 mg/dL, none of the statin group (n=17) suffered a cardiac event. This was significantly lower than the incidence of cardiac events in the non-statin group (n=5: 25%; p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrated that lowering LDL-C of Japanese CAD patients by statin administration is effective to prevent cardiac events, particularly, a second percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for restenosis of a coronary artery following the initial PCI whether or not these patients had hypercholesterolemia.
Saeki
Tomoaki
T
Department of Cardio-Renal Medicine and Hypertension, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan.
Sakuma
Nagahiko
N
Hayakawa
Kiyoshi
K
Itou
Kenichi
K
Wakami
Kazuaki
K
Tamai
Nozomu
N
Kimura
Genjiro
G
D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D023903:Coronary Restenosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol