Prevention of Peri-procedural Myocardial Injury Using a Single High Loading Dose of Rosuvastatin

Comparative Effects of Rosuvastatin and Atorvastatin Loading Doses on Immediate Post-percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) Flow in ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Patients

BACKGROUND

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is crucial in managing acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), emphasizing the importance of optimal myocardial reperfusion.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this research was to determine how loading doses of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin affected the flow rate of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) immediately post-perfusion thrombolysis in patients undergoing primary PCI.

METHODOLOGY

This prospective, comparative study was carried out over a one-year period (January 2023 to December 2023) in Pakistan. Data was gathered from patient interviews and electronic medical records for adult patients receiving primary PCI. Interventional cardiologists who were blinded to the evaluation of the immediate post-perfusion TIMI flow conducted statistical analysis to compare the results between the two statin groups.

RESULTS

Both groups had good procedural success rates: 184 patients (92.00%) in the group using rosuvastatin and 179 patients (89.50%) in the group on atorvastatin (p = 0.284). A comparable use of auxiliary equipment was seen, with 103 patients (51.50%) and 97 patients (48.50%) in the atorvastatin group and 108 patients (54.00%) and 92 patients (46.00%) in the rosuvastatin group, respectively (p = 0.53). There were no notable variations in the immediate post-perfusion TIMI flow grades either, with p-values of 0.532 for normal flow and 0.421 for no-reflow. The two groups' mean lengths of hospital stays were comparable, measuring 3.5 days (± 1.2) for the rosuvastatin group and 3.8 days (± 1.3) for the atorvastatin group (p = 0.321).

CONCLUSION

Rosuvastatin and atorvastatin had comparable rapid post-perfusion TIMI flows in the initial PCI participants, indicating that they may be used interchangeably to maximize myocardial reperfusion in acute STEMI.

Evaluation of preprocedural statin loading on clinical outcomes in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention

Background and aim

High-dose statin therapy before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is thought to reduce the occurrence of Peri-procedural Myocardial Infarction (PPMI), which is associated with increased mortality and prolonged hospitalization, especially in statin naïve patients. This study aims to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin loading dose on PPMI and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients undergoing elective PCI, considering their statin use.

Methods

One hundred sixty-five patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) without heart failure (HF) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) were included in the study. They were divided into two groups: patients already on statin treatment (n:126) and statin naive patients (n:39). Both groups were randomly assigned to high-dose (40 mg) rosuvastatin (n:86) or a non- loading dose group (n:79). The primary endpoint was the incidence of PPMI, and the secondary endpoint was MACCE.

Results

The mean age of study population was 59 ± 9.4 years with 77% being male (n = 127). The median follow-up (FU) time was 368 day. Thirty patients were diagnosed with PPMI after PCI (19 in the high-dose group and 11 in the no-loading-dose group). Meanwhile, less than half of study population (77 patients, 46.7%) had complex lesion type (B2, C) and 88 of those (53.3%) had simple lesion type (A, B1). PPMI was observed more frequently in statin-naive patients (23%) than in statin users (17%), although the difference was not statistically significant. Only two patients (1.2%) experienced MACCE during the FU period. One of these patients, who had a type C lesion, belonged to group A2 and underwent Target Vessel Revascularization (TVR) on the 391st day. The other patient, with a type B1 lesion, was in group A1 and was hospitalized due to Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) on the 40th day of FU.

Conclusions

Pre-procedural administration of high dose rosuvastatin in patients with stable coronary artery disease did not decrease PPMI, independent of chronic statin use.

Rosuvastatin Alleviates Coronary Microembolization-Induced Cardiac Injury by Suppressing Nox2-Induced ROS Overproduction and Myocardial Apoptosis

To explore the mechanism by which rosuvastatin prevents coronary microembolism (CME)-induced cardiac injury and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Animal and cell models of CME were established and treated with different doses of rosuvastatin. Echocardiography and histological staining were applied to assess left ventricular function and cardiac injury. Masson trichrome staining was used to evaluate fibrin deposition in the myocardium. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum and cell culture supernatant was detected. TUNEL staining and flow cytometry were used to evaluate apoptosis in myocardium and cardiomyocytes, respectively. The activity of ROS was revealed by DHE staining. The expression levels of Nox2, cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome C, p53, Bax and Bcl-2 were also detected. Rosuvastatin pretreatment improved the left ventricular function of CME mice and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrin deposition in the myocardium. Rosuvastatin reduced the production of ROS by inhibiting the expression of Nox2. Rosuvastatin also downregulated pro-apoptotic proteins cleaved caspase-3, cytochrome C, p53 and Bax, and upregulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Rosuvastatin mitigates CME-induced cardiac injury by inhibiting Nox2-induced ROS overproduction and alleviating p53/Bax/Bcl-2-dependent cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Single Bolus Rosuvastatin Accelerates Calcium Uptake and Attenuates Conduction Inhomogeneity in Failing Rabbit Hearts With Regional Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Acute statin therapy reduces myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury-induced ventricular fibrillation (VF), but the underlying electrophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. This study sought to investigate the antiarrhythmic effects of a single bolus rosuvastatin injection in failing rabbit hearts with IR injury and to unveil the underlying molecular mechanisms. Rabbits were divided into rosuvastatin, rosuvastatin + L-NAME, control, and L-NAME groups. Intravenous bolus rosuvastatin (0.5 mg/kg) and/or L-NAME (10 mg/kg) injections were administered 1 hour and 15 minutes before surgery, respectively. Heart failure was induced using rapid ventricular pacing. Under general anesthesia with isoflurane, an IR model was created by coronary artery ligation for 30 minutes, followed by reperfusion for 15 minutes. Plasma NO end product levels were measured during IR. Then, hearts were excised and Langendorff-perfused for optical mapping studies. Cardiac tissues were sampled for Western blot analysis. Rosuvastatin increased plasma NO levels during IR, which was abrogated by L-NAME. Spontaneous VF during IR was suppressed by rosuvastatin (P < 0.001). Intracellular calcium (Cai) decay and conduction velocity were significantly slower in the IR zone. Rosuvastatin accelerated Cai decay, ameliorated conduction inhomogeneity, and reduced the inducibility of spatially discordant alternans and VF significantly. Western blots revealed significantly higher expression of enhancing endothelial NO-synthase and phosphorylated enhancing endothelial NO-synthase proteins in the Rosuvastatin group. Furthermore, SERCA2a, phosphorylated connexin43, and phosphorylated phospholamban were downregulated in the IR zone, which was attenuated or reversed by rosuvastatin. Acute rosuvastatin therapy before ischemia reduced IR-induced VF by improving SERCA2a function and ameliorating conduction disturbance in the IR zone.

Effects of high dose atorvastatin before elective percutaneous coronary intervention on highly sensitive troponin T and one year major cardiovascular events; a randomized clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Some studies have demonstrated that post-PCI elevated cardiac enzymes are associated with worse outcomes. In this study, we aimed to determine if high-dose treatment with atorvastatin before planned elective PCI reduces PMI or MACE at 1-year median follow-up.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Eligible participants were randomly allocated to group A (80 mg atorvastatin 12 h and 40 mg 2 h before PCI) and group B (40 mg atorvastatin daily). Blood samples were obtained before and at 24 h after PCI to measure hsTnT. All patients were followed regarding MACE (combination of death, re-hospitalizations for ACS, and unplanned coronary revascularization) during one year after PCI.

RESULTS

207 patients randomly assigned to Group A (n = 97) or group B (n = 110). The rate of PMI was lower in group A (5.2%) compared to group B (10.9%); despite near to 50% lower rate of PMI in group A, binary logistic regression showed no significant association between atorvastatin recapture and PMI. The occurrence of MACE in 97 patients of group A was 11 (11.3%), higher than 11 (10%) cases of 110 patients in group B. Cox proportional hazards regression model shows no significant difference in MACE of study groups.

CONCLUSION

Pretreatment of patients with stable angina who were planned to undergo an elective PCI with 120 mg of atorvastatin before the procedure confer them the same benefit in terms of PMI and MACE as 40 mg routine daily dosage of this statin does.

Effect of High-Dose Statin Pretreatment for Myocardial Perfusion in Patients Receiving Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI): A Meta-Analysis of 15 Randomized Studies

Background

For coronary artery disease, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred treatment. Reperfusion injury is a common and serious complication of PCI. Studies showed that early statin therapy has a favorable prognostic impact for patients undergoing PCI. However, the effects of statins on improving post-PCI myocardial perfusion are still unclear. In this study we evaluated the potential effect of high-dose statin pretreatment on postprocedure myocardial perfusion and MACE rate in patients receiving PCI.

Material/Methods

We searched randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of high-dose statin pretreatment on post-PCI TIMI flow grade and MACE in patients undergoing PCI from the databases of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library. All data were pooled for analysis and were stratified by type of statin, clinical presentation, and current statin therapy status in subgroup.

Results

Fifteen RCTs with 4240 individuals were selected. The pooled analysis showed that high-dose statin pretreatment before PCI significantly improved the final TIMI flow grade compared with the control group (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.80, p=0.0005), and showed reduced incidence of MACE (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.39 to 0.71, p<0.0001). In subgroup analysis, the beneficial effect of high-dose statin was significant in statin-naive treatment patients, ACS patients, and patients on atorvastatin therapy, but no difference occurred in rosuvastatin, previous statin therapy, and stable angina patients.

Conclusions

High-dose statin pretreatment has an important effect on postprocedure myocardial perfusion by improving the TIMI flow in patients undergoing PCI, and high-dose statin preloading also reduces the incidence of MACE.

Impact of statins preloading before PCI on periprocedural myocardial infarction among stable angina pectoris patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

It has been shown that statins preloading, before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), may reduce the risk of cardiovascular outcomes for acute coronary syndrome patients. Nevertheless, the effect of such pretreatment among patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) is still debatable. We performed a systematic review and updated meta-analysis of the literature to evaluate the efficacy of short-term statins preloading on periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) incidence and mortality after PCI. We included 13 randomized control trials that examined statins preloading in adult patients with SAP undergoing PCI. While the use of preloading statins significantly reduced PMI, the benefit of statins pretreatment on long-term mortality was not statistically significant. SHORT SUMMARY: High dose statins preloading prior to elective PCI was associated with a significant reduction in PMI in SAP patients. The mortality benefit of such intervention will need to be addressed by further large randomized studies. The routine use of statins in stable patients before PCI should be considered if no contraindications are present.

Statin in the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction: A meta-analysis

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to investigate whether statin is a key therapy for myocardial infarction (MI) by comparing all randomized controlled trials that appraised the effects of statin on risk of MI.Pubmed, Embase, and Medline databases (up to December 2016) were used to search all related articles. Using the data from 18 available publications, we examined the efficacy in treating or reducing the risk of MI by using random-effects models of odds ratio (OR) comparing the highest with the lowest category.Statins have demonstrated efficacy in treating or reducing the risk of MI (OR = 0.73, 95% confidence interval = 0.58-0.93, P = .010).This meta-analysis suggests that statin have light efficacy in treating or reducing the risk of MI patients.

Pre-loading therapy with statins in patients with angina and acute coronary syndromes undergoing PCI

Statins constitute the most powerful class of drugs for cardiovascular risk reduction associated to atherosclerosis. Their important pharmacological properties include reduction of serum lipid concentrations and non-lipid related, pleotropic effects such as anti-inflammatory action. Previous largescale randomized studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of statin loading prior to elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the reduction of periprocedural myocardial infarction and prevention of major adverse cardiac events at 30 days. The present review summarizes the data from major randomized trials that evaluated the clinical benefit of statin pretreatment in the setting of PCI resulting in a better understanding of their impact on reduction of interventional complications.

Effects of perioperative statin use on cardiovascular complications in patients submitted to non-cardiac surgery: protocol for a systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis

BACKGROUND

Preliminary evidence suggests statins may reduce major perioperative vascular events. However, evidence is limited to observational studies, underpowered trials, and non-comprehensive systematic reviews. This review aims to assess the effects of perioperative statin use on cardiovascular complications in patients submitted to non-cardiac surgery.

METHODS

We will search MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS, CENTRAL, Web of Science, and CINAHL for randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of perioperative statin use in adults undergoing non-cardiac surgery and reporting cardiovascular complications. For patients already using statins for hyperlipidemia, a preoperative loading dose of statin is required in the experimental group. We will place no language or publication restriction on our search. Teams of two reviewers will independently assess eligibility and risk of bias, and will extract data from the included trials. Our primary outcome is a combination of cardiovascular mortality or non-fatal myocardial infarction. We will also assess the following outcomes: individual components of the primary outcome, all-cause mortality, total myocardial infarction, elevated troponin in the first seven postoperative days, total stroke, total venous thromboembolism, postoperative atrial fibrillation, elevation of creatine phosphokinase or liver enzymes, and rates of myalgia or rhabdomyolysis. We will conduct meta-analyses using random-effects model and will use trial sequential analysis to establish monitoring boundaries to limit global type I error due to repetitive testing for our primary outcome. We will rate the quality of evidence using the GRADE system.

DISCUSSION

The results of this systematic review may help to inform clinical practice and also the design of future large-scale randomized trials.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42016035987.

Effect of high-dose rosuvastatin loading before percutaneous coronary intervention in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is an important disease threatening human life and health. Many studies have shown that the loading dose of atorvastatin can significantly improve the prognosis of patients with ACS, and reduce the mortality. However, this conclusion is not consistent. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the effect of high-dose rosuvastatin loading before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Chinese patients with ACS using a meta-analysis based on a systematic review of published articles.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed published studies, evaluating the effect of high-dose rosuvastatin loading before percutaneous coronary intervention in Chinese patients with ACS. The retrieval time is limited from inception to 2 November 2016, and the retrieved databases included PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, the VIP database and the Wang Fang database. Two researchers independently assessed the quality of the included studies and then extracted the data. Stata 11.0 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 11 articles, which included 802 patients, were included in our meta-analysis. Among these patients, 398 patients were in the high-dose group (20 mg/day) and 404 patients were in the conventional dose group (10 mg/day). Meta-analysis results showed that compared with the conventional dose group: 1) The loading dose of rosuvastatin can significantly reduce the hs-CRP level after PCI, including at 24 hours (SMD = -0.65, 95%CI -0.84 ~ -0.47, P = 0.000), 48 hours (SMD = -0.40, 95%CI -0.68 ~ -0.11, P = 0.006), and four weeks (SMD = -1.64, 95%CI -2.01 ~ -1.26, P = 0.000). 2) The loading dose of rosuvastatin can significantly reduce the levels of LDL-C and cTnT, including the level of LDL-C at 30 d after PCI (SMD = -0.89, 95%CI -1.10 ~ -0.69, P = 0.000), and the level of cTnT at 24 h after PCI (SMD = -1.93, 95%CI -2.28 ~ -1.59, P = 0.000), and increase the level of HDL-C at 48 h after PCI (SMD = 0.61, 95%CI 0.34 ~ 0.88, P = 0.000). 3) The loading dose of rosuvastatin can significantly reduce the levels of TG and TC, including the level of TG at 30 d after PCI (SMD = -0.94, 95%CI -1.17 ~ -0.71, P = 0.000), the level of TC at 48 h after PCI (SMD = -0.35, 95%CI -0.68 ~ -0.01, P = 0.043), and the level of TC at 30 d after PCI (SMD = -0.77, 95%CI -0.98 ~ -0.56, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Our systematic review and meta-analysis showed that, compared with the conventional dose, the loading dose of rosuvastatin was more beneficial to patients with ACS in China and is suitable for clinical application. Due to the limitations of the quality and quantity of included articles, this conclusion still needs to be confirmed by multicenter clinical trials.

Rosuvastatin: Beyond the cholesterol-lowering effect

Rosuvastatin is a fully synthetic statin wich acts by interfering with the endogenous synthesis of cholesterol through competitively inhibiting the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, a liver enzyme responsible of the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis. When compared to other molecules of the same class, it shows high efficacy in the improvement of lipid profile, and, thanks to its non-cholesterol-lowering actions (anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antithrombotic), represents a crucial tool for cardiovascular primary and secondary prevention. Moreover, recent data highlight rosuvastatin beneficial effects in several other fields. In this manuscript we analyzed literature sources in order to better define rosuvastatin features and discuss some critical issues.

The effect of rosuvastatin on thromboinflammation in the setting of acute coronary syndrome

In patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS), early therapy with high-dose statins may reduce short-term adverse clinical outcomes. The mechanisms responsible are not known but could involve anti-inflammatory or anti-thrombotic effects. Compelling evidence from experimental models and clinical studies suggests that the interplay between inflammatory and thrombotic systems, typified by platelet–monocyte and platelet–neutrophil interactions, might be a key regulator of ischemic vascular events. The study sought to determine if early, high-dose administration of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor rosuvastatin in the setting of ACS exerts beneficial vascular effects by reducing, and inhibiting biomarkers of thromboinflammation, such as platelet-monocyte and platelet-neutrophil interactions, and biomarkers of myocardial necrosis. A total of 54 patients presenting with ACS within 8 h of symptom onset were randomized to rosuvastatin 40 mg or placebo. Rosuvastatin significantly reduced interactions between platelets and circulating neutrophils (P = 0.015) and monocytes (P = 0.009) within 24 h. No significant effects were observed on platelet aggregation or plasma levels of PF4, sP-selectin, or sCD40L, whereas significant reductions of RANTES occurred over time in both treatment groups. Plasma levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) declined more rapidly with rosuvastatin therapy than placebo. In a subset of patients with normal cardiac necrosis biomarkers at randomization, rosuvastatin therapy was associated with less myocardial damage as measured by troponin-I or CK-MB. Early administration of high-dose statin therapy in patients with ACS appears to improve biomarkers of inflammation within 8 h, which may translate into fewer ischemic events.

Effect of High-Dose Statin Pretreatment on the Incidence of Periprocedural Myocardial Infarction in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Grading the Evidence Through a Cumulative Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have showed that high-dose statin pretreatment could reduce the incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, previous analyses have not performed reliable grading of evidence.

HYPOTHESIS

In previous analyses, it supposed that the high-dose statin pretreatment was effective in reduction of the rate of PMI. In this analysis, we evaluated the effect of high-dose statin pretreatment on the reduction of rate of PMI based on a cumulative meta-analysis and grading of evidence.

METHODS

We assembled the relevant published randomized controlled trials that compared the efficacy of high-dose statin pretreatment prior to PCI. We evaluated the risk of PMI by a cumulative meta-analysis, with subgroups stratified by clinical classifications and different statin histories, and we conducted explicit grading of evidence.

RESULTS

High-dose statin pretreatment caused a 55% reduction in PMI through this cumulative meta-analysis of 23 RCTs (odds ratio [OR]: 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37-0.54). The effect of high-dose statin pretreatment was significant for the stable angina subgroup (OR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.32-0.56), ACS subgroup (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.29-0.64), and the mixed presentation subgroup (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.36-0.70). In different statin therapy histories, high-dose statin pretreatment reduced incidence of PMI 55% in the statin-naive subgroup (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.36-0.56) and 54% in the low-dose statin subgroup (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.32-0.66). The GRADE system indicated that the overall evidence quality was moderate. This finding may strengthen the confidence in any recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose statin pretreatment can reduce the rate of PMI, irrespective of either the clinical presentation or previous statin-treatment history. Importantly, the overall GRADE evidence quality was moderate.

Efficacy of high-dose rosuvastatin preloading in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis of fourteen randomized controlled trials

Background

Numerous studies have evidenced that statins can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of high-dose rosuvastatin (RSV) preloading in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are controversial.

Objective

We attempted to identify and quantify the potential cardioprotective benefits of high-dose RSV preloading on final thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow grade, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and peri-procedural myocardial injury (PMI) in patients undergoing PCI.

Methods

Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and ISI Web of Science databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to June 2015. We assessed the incidence of MACE and PMI in all enrolled patients for subgroups stratified by clinical presentation and previous statin therapy during the follow-up period.

Results

Fourteen trials with 3368 individuals were included in our meta-analysis. High-dose RSV preloading before PCI lead to a 58 % reduction in MACE (odds ratio [OR] = 0.42, 95 % confidence intervals [CI]: 0.29-0.61, P < 0.00001) and a 60 % reduction in PMI (OR = 0.40, 95 % CI: 0.25–0.63, P < 0.0001). This procedure also improved the final TIMI flow grade in patients undergoing PCI (OR = 1.61, 95 % CI: 1.09–2.38, P = 0.02). The benefits on MACE were significant for both stable angina patients (OR = 0.42, 95 % CI: 0.21-0.87, P = 0.02) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients (OR = 0.42, 95 % CI: 0.27-0.65, P < 0.0001); and for both statin naïve patients (OR = 0.42, 95 % CI: 0.28-0.64, P < 0.0001) and previous statin therapy patients (OR = 0.28, 95 % CI: 0.10-0.73, P = 0.01).

Conclusion

High-dose RSV preloading can significantly improve myocardial perfusion and reduce both MACE and PMI in patients undergoing PCI. The cardioprotective benefits of RSV preloading were significant in not only stable angina and ACS patients but also statin naïve and previous statin therapy patients. The cardioprotective benefits of RSV preloading in the follow-up period mainly resulted from a reduction in spontaneous MI and TVR, especially for ACS and statin naïve patients.

High-dose statin pretreatment decreases periprocedural myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis of twenty-four randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that high-dose statin pretreatment may reduce the risk of periprocedural myocardial infarction (PMI) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) for certain patients; however, previous analyses have not considered patients with a history of statin maintenance treatment. In this meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we reevaluated the efficacy of short-term high-dose statin pretreatment to prevent PMI and MACE in an expanded set of patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention.

METHODS

We searched the PubMed/Medline database for RCTs that compared high-dose statin pretreatment with no statin or low-dose statin pretreatment as a prevention of PMI and MACE. We evaluated the incidence of PMI and MACE, including death, spontaneous myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at the longest follow-up for each study for subgroups stratified by disease classification and prior low-dose statin treatment.

RESULTS

Twenty-four RCTs with a total of 5,526 patients were identified. High-dose statin pretreatment was associated with 59% relative reduction in PMI (odds ratio [OR]: 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.34-0.49; P<0.00001) and 39% relative reduction in MACE (OR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.45-0.83; P = 0.002). The benefit of high-dose statin pretreatment on MACE was significant for statin-naive patients (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.50-0.95; P = 0.02) and prior low dose statin-treated patients (OR: 0.28; 95% CI: 0.12-0.65; P = 0.003); and for patients with acute coronary syndrome (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.34-0.79; P = 0.003), but not for patients with stable angina (OR: 0.71; 95% CI 0.45-1.10; P = 0.12). Long-term effects on survival were less obvious.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose statin pretreatment can result in a significant reduction in PMI and MACE for patients undergoing elective PCI. The positive effect of high-dose statin pretreatment on PMI and MACE is significant for statin-naïve patients and patients with prior treatment. The positive effect of high-dose statin pretreatment on MACE is significant for patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Effect of rosuvastatin therapy on troponin I release following percutaneous coronary intervention in nonemergency patients (from the TIP 3 study)

Several randomized studies have suggested that pretreatment with statins may reduce a periprocedural biomarker release in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, results remain controversial. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a 1-day rosuvastatin therapy on troponin I release in patients who underwent nonemergency PCI. A total of 445 patients with angina pectoris were randomly assigned to therapy with rosuvastatin (20 mg 12 hours before coronary angiography + 20 mg immediately before PCI; rosuvastatin group, 220 patients) or PCI without statin therapy (control group, 225 patients). In patients taking statins (73%), rosuvastatin was added to their long-term statin therapy. The primary end point was the incidence of TnI microleak defined as TnI elevation >1.5× upper limit of normal, and the secondary end point was the incidence of post-PCI TnI elevation >3× upper limit of normal. The incidence of primary and secondary end point in the rosuvastatin versus control group was 13.6% versus 12% (p = 0.61) and 8.2% versus 7.1% (p = 0.67), respectively. Patients with C-reactive protein ≥2.0 mg/L had a decreased release of post-PCI TnI in the rosuvastatin group (0.032 [0.010 to 0.143] μg/L vs 0.056 [0.018 to 0.241] μg/L; p = 0.04). In conclusion, 1-day rosuvastatin therapy (20 mg twice a day) did not influence post-PCI TnI release in patients with angina. However, these results suggest that, in patients with an advanced inflammatory status, rosuvastatin loading therapy might have a cardioprotective effect.

Comparison of high reloading ROsuvastatin and Atorvastatin pretreatment in patients undergoing elective PCI to reduce the incidence of MyocArdial periprocedural necrosis. The ROMA II trial

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to compare a reloading dose of Rosuvastatin and Atorvastatin administered within 24 h before coronary angioplasty (PCI) in reducing the rate of periprocedural myonecrosis and major cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in patients on chronic statin treatment undergoing elective PCI.

BACKGROUND

Elective PCI may be complicated with elevation of cardiac biomarkers. Several studies suggested that pretreatment with statins may be associated with a reduction in periprocedural myocardial necrosis.

METHODS

Three hundred and fifty patients with stable angina who underwent elective PCI were randomly assigned to receive a pre-procedural reloading dose of Rosuvastatin (40 mg) (Rosuvastatin Group-RG n=175) or Atorvastatin (80 mg) (Atorvastatin Group-AG n=175) and a control group on chronic statin therapy without reloading (Control-Group-CG). The primary end-point was periprocedural myocardial necrosis and the occurrence of MACCE at 30-day,6-12 month follow-up. Also we evaluate the rise of periprocedural Troponin T serum levels >3× the upper limit of normal.

RESULTS

Twelve and 24-hour post-PCI Creatine Kinase Muscle and Brain (CK-MB) elevation >3× occurred more frequently in the CG than in the RG and in the AG (at 24-h: 25.0 vs 7.1; p=0.003 and 25.0 vs 6.1; p=0.001). At 30-day, 6-and 12-month follow-up the incidence of cumulative MACCE was higher in CG than in the RG or AG (at 12-month: 41.0% vs 11.4% vs 12.0%; p=0.001). There was no difference between the RG and AG in terms of myocardial post-procedural necrosis and MACCE occurrence at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose statin reloading improves procedural and long term clinical outcomes in stable patients on chronic statin therapy. Both Rosuvastatin and Atorvastatin showed similar beneficial effects on procedural and long-term outcomes.

Effects of adding statins before surgery on mortality and major morbidity: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To re-evaluate the effects of adding a statin before surgery on mortality at 30 days and at 1 year and on major morbidity at 0-30 days.

DESIGN

A meta-analysis of parallel, randomized, controlled trials published in English.

SETTING

A university-based electronic search.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients undergoing any type of procedure.

INTERVENTION

Adding a statin before a procedure compared to a placebo or no intervention.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A search for all randomized controlled trials (RCT) was done in PubMed, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials in November 2012. The quality of each study was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration Tools. An I-square ≥ 25% was chosen as the cut-off point for heterogeneity exploration. The search produced 29 trials. Statins reduced the 0-30 days' risk of myocardial infarction: risk ratio (RR) 0.48 (95%CI 0.38, 0.61); I-square 13.2%; p<0.001; number needed-to-treat 17 (14, 24). There were no statistical differences at 0-30 days for stroke RR 0.70 (0.25, 1.95), acute renal insufficiency RR 0.54 (0.26, 1.12) or reoperation RR 1.10 (0.51, 2.38). There was a trend for a reduced mortality at 1 year RR 0.26 (0.06, 1.02); I-square 0%; p = 0.053. The hospital length of stay was slightly decreased with atorvastatin: standardized mean difference (SMD) -0.27 (-0.39, -0.14), p<0.001; fluvastatin SMD -0.95 (-1.56, -0.34), p = 0.002; and rosuvastatin SMD -0.69 (-0.98, -0.40), p<0.001 but not with simvastatin SMD -0.04 (-0.41, 0.48).

CONCLUSIONS

Adding a statin before a high risk cardiac procedure reduces the 0-30 days' risk of myocardial infarction.

Usefulness of rosuvastatin to prevent periprocedural myocardial injury in patients undergoing elective coronary intervention

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether percutaneous coronary intervention-related periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI) can be suppressed more significantly with high- compared with low-dose rosuvastatin. A total of 232 patients scheduled to undergo elective percutaneous coronary intervention within 5 to 7 days were assigned to groups that would receive either 2.5 or 20 mg/day of rosuvastatin (n = 116 each). The incidence of periprocedural MI did not significantly differ between the high and low-dose groups (8.7% vs 18.7%, p = 0.052). In patients who were not taking statins at the time of enrollment, high-dose rosuvastatin significantly suppressed periprocedural MI compared with the low dose (10.5% vs 30.0%, p = 0.037). The difference was not significant in patients who were already taking statins (high vs low dose 7.6% vs 10.6%, p = 0.582). In conclusion, the incidence of percutaneous coronary intervention-related periprocedural MI was reduced more effectively by high-dose than by low-dose rosuvastatin in statin-naive patients. However, low-dose rosuvastatin is sufficient for patients who are already taking statins.

Prehospital statin therapy and one-year mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

BACKGROUND

Statins have multiple effects in patients with coronary artery disease. No studies have investigated whether chronic statin pretreatment before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has an impact on long-term mortality in patients with stable angina.

METHODS

The study included 8041 patients with stable angina. At the time of PCI, 5939 patients (73.8%) were receiving statins for ≥ 1 month before procedure and 2102 patients (26.2%) were not receiving statins. The primary outcome analysis was 1-year mortality.

RESULTS

There were 192 deaths during the follow-up: 119 deaths among patients receiving statins and 73 deaths among patients not receiving statins (Kaplan-Meier estimates of 1-year mortality 2.06% and 3.59%; unadjusted hazards ratio [HR]=0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-0.75; P<0.001). Landmark analysis showed that almost all mortality benefit occurred in the first 30-days after PCI: 10 deaths among patients receiving statins and 22 deaths among patients not receiving statins (Kaplan-Meier estimates of 30-day death, 0.17% and 1.06%, respectively; HR=0.16, 95% CI 0.08-0.34, P<0.001). No significant difference in mortality according to statin pretreatment between 30 days and 1 year was observed (109 deaths among patients receiving statins vs 51 deaths among patients not receiving statins; Kaplan-Meier estimates 1.89% and 2.53%; HR=0.75, 95% CI 0.53-1.05, P=0.095). After adjustment in the Cox proportional hazards model, statin pretreatment was associated with a 35% reduction in the adjusted risk for 1-year mortality (adjusted HR=0.65, 95% CI 0.44-0.98, P=0.039).

CONCLUSIONS

Pretreatment with statins before PCI was associated with a significant reduction of 1-year mortality in patients with stable angina.

Pleiotropic effects of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors

The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are used extensively in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. They have also demonstrated a benefit in a variety of other disease processes. These secondary actions are known as pleiotropic effects. Our paper serves as a focused and updated discussion on the pleiotropy of statins and emphasizes the importance of randomized placebo-controlled trials to further elucidate this interesting phenomenon.

Clinical benefit of statin pretreatment in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a collaborative patient-level meta-analysis of 13 randomized studies

BACKGROUND

Previous studies suggested that statin pretreatment reduces cardiac events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. However, most data were observational, and single randomized trials included limited numbers of patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed a collaborative meta-analysis using individual patient data from 13 randomized studies in which 3341 patients received either high-dose statin (n=1692) or no statin/low-dose statin (n=1649) before percutaneous coronary intervention, with all patients receiving statin therapy after intervention. Occurrence of periprocedural myocardial infarction, defined as postintervention creatine kinase-MB increase ≥3 times the upper limit of normal, and 30-day major adverse cardiac events (death, myocardial infarction, target-vessel revascularization) was evaluated. Incidence of periprocedural myocardial infarction was 7.0% in the high-dose statin versus 11.9% in the control group, which corresponds to a 44% risk reduction in the active-treatment arm (odds ratio by fixed-effects model 0.56, 95% confidence interval, 0.44 to 0.71, P<0.00001). The rate of major adverse cardiac events at 30 days was significantly lower in the high-dose statin group (7.4% versus 12.6%, a 44% risk reduction; P<0.00001), and 1-month major adverse cardiac events, excluding periprocedural events, were also reduced (0.6% versus 1.4%; P=0.05). The benefit of high-dose statins was realized irrespective of clinical presentation (P for interaction=0.43) and was maintained across various subgroups but appeared greater in the subgroup with elevated baseline C-reactive protein levels (n=734; 68% risk reduction for periprocedural myocardial infarction versus 31% in those 1861 patients with normal CRP; P for quantitative interaction=0.025).

CONCLUSIONS

High-dose statin pretreatment leads to a significant reduction in periprocedural myocardial infarction and 30-day adverse events in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. This strategy should be considered in all patients with planned percutaneous coronary intervention.

Stents and statins: history, clinical outcomes and mechanisms

The 1980s witnessed the inception of both stents and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins). While they evolved separately, it was soon realized that they each offered a unique and powerful mechanism for targeting the major offender in cardiovascular disease, namely atherosclerosis. Coincidentally, the first statin was approved by the US FDA in 1987, the same year that the coronary stent was conceived. Since that time, stents and statins have revolutionized the field of cardiovascular medicine and their paths have been intertwined. Several pivotal randomized clinical trials have established statins as an effective therapy for improving clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients presenting with stable coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes. In addition, chronic statin therapy and acute loading of statins prior to PCI has consistently been shown to limit periprocedural myocardial necrosis. The mechanism for improved clinical outcomes with statins has clearly been associated with statin-induced reductions in LDL. In addition, statins may also exert 'pleiotropic' effects, independent of LDL lowering, that might counteract the inflammatory and prothrombotic mileu created with PCI. This article provides a brief historical perspective of the evolution of the use of statins and stents in patients with coronary artery disease, an evaluation of the available clinical data supporting the use of statins in patients undergoing PCI across a wide spectrum of clinical scenarios, and a discussion of the potential mechanisms of the benefit of statins in these patients.

The pleiotropic effects of the hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors in cardiovascular disease: a comprehensive review

The hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are used extensively in the treatment of hyperlipidemia, and in the long-term prevention of coronary artery disease and stroke. They have also demonstrated a benefit in a variety of other cardiovascular disease processes. These secondary actions are known as pleiotropic effects. An updated discussion on the pleiotropy of statins is provided, and emphasizes the importance of randomized, placebo-controlled trials to further elucidate the potential benefits of these non-lipid-lowering actions in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Statin loading before percutaneous coronary intervention: proposed mechanisms and applications

Statin therapy reduces the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated a LDL-independent action of these class of drugs, which appears in modulating endothelial function, inflammation and thrombosis. Periprocedural myocardial infarction and contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), associated with worse outcome on long-term follow-up, are both complications related to inflammatory pathogenetic mechanisms. Randomized studies demonstrated a beneficial effect of short-term statin pretreatment in reducing periprocedural cardiac marker release in patients undergoing PCI. Statin therapy before elective PCI reduces periprocedural myocardial infarction in patients with stable angina. Furthermore, an acute loading with a high dose of atorvastatin prevents myocardial damage in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing early PCI (<48 h). In patients already on chronic statin therapy, a reload with high-dose statins was associated with a significant improvement on 30-day major adverse cardiac event rates. Furthermore, statin therapy at the time of PCI significantly decreased the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy. This evidence suggests an ‘upstream administration’ of short-term, high-dose statins in all patients undergoing PCI.