title: Preoperative statin is associated with decreased operative mortality in high risk coronary artery bypass patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statins are widely prescribed to patients with atherosclerosis. A retrospective database analysis was used to examine the role of preoperative statin use in hospital mortality, for patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG.)
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population comprised 2377 patients who had isolated CABG at Allegheny General Hospital between 2000 and 2004. Mean age of the patients was 65 +/- 11 years (range 27 to 92 years). 1594 (67%) were male, 5% had previous open heart procedures, and 4% had emergency surgery. 1004 patients (42%) were being treated with a statin at the time of admission. Univariate, bivariate (Chi2, Fisher's Exact and Student's t-tests) and multivariate (stepwise linear regression) analyses were used to evaluate the association of statin use with mortality following CABG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Annual prevalence of preoperative statin use was similar over the study period and averaged 40%. Preoperative clinical risk assessment demonstrated a 2% risk of mortality in both the statin and non-statin groups. Operative mortality was 2.4% for all patients, 1.7% for statin users and 2.8% for non-statin users (p < 0.07). Using multivariate analysis, lack of statin use was found to be an independent predictor of mortality in high-risk patients (n = 245, 12.9% vs. 5.6%, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Between 2000 and 2004 less than 50% of patients at this institution were receiving statins before admission for isolated CABG. A retrospective analysis of this cohort provides evidence that preoperative statin use is associated with lower operative mortality in high-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Magovern
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Moraca
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Maher
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Benckart
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Magovern
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors