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Benefits of Perioperative Statins Borne Out in Trial

Thursday, June 16, 2011

BY MARK S. LESNEY

Elsevier Global Medical News

CHICAGO (EGMN)Results from a follow-up analysis of patients in the randomized DECREASE III

trial showed that there is an apparent legacy effect of perioperative statin therapy, resulting in improved

long-term survival, compared with statin initiation after vascular surgery.

Ischemic cardiac events are a major cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality in noncardiac surgery

(including vascular surgery), with an estimated 10%-40% of perioperative deaths ascribed to myocardial

infarction (MI), according to the original report by Dr. Don Poldermans and the DECREASE (Dutch

Echocardiographic Cardiac Risk Evaluation Applying Stress Echocardiography) III researchers. Statins,

which are associated with improved plaque stability, were plausible candidates to reduce perioperative

MI. And in fact, results of the original DECREASE III study showed that in high-risk patients who

undergo major vascular surgery, fluvastatin XL reduced myocardial ischemia and the combined end point

of cardiovascular death and MI.

Dr. Olaf Schouten from the Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, discussed a

further analysis of the DECREASE III population at the Vascular Annual Meeting. The investigatorsexamined a total of 497 patients who were randomized to placebo (247 patients) or fluvastatin (250) in

the double-blinded trial.

The patients had been started on treatment a median of 34 days prior to surgery. At the end of the

DECREASE III study period (30 days after surgery), all patients were prescribed lifelong statins as

recommended by current guidelines. The current study relied on all-cause death data obtained from a civil

service registry for a median follow-up of 4.8 years, during which time 129 patients died.

Perioperative statin use was associated with a significant reduction of perioperative cardiovascular events

(hazard ratio, 0.55), according to Dr. Schouten. In a multivariate analysis that adjusted for possible

confounders including cardiovascular risk factors, type and site of vascular surgery, and age, preoperative

statin initiation was still significantly associated with an improved long-term outcome (HR, 0.59).

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The randomized DECREASE III trial showed that perioperative statin use is associated with a significant

reduction of perioperative cardiovascular events, according to Dr. Schouten. But it appears that statin

therapy also results in a long-term survival benefit, compared with postoperative initiation of statin

therapy, he added.

This legacy effect might be due to the prevention of perioperative myocardial damage, as patients with

myocardial damage had a significantly higher risk of death during follow-up, Dr. Schouten speculated.

The main message of our study is that all vascular surgery patients eligible for statin therapy [that is,

without contraindications] should be prescribed statins at the first, preoperative, and outpatient clinic

visit, said Dr. Schouten in an interview. He pointed out that statin therapy is safe in the perioperative

period, with no significant side effects; it improves perioperative cardiac outcome; and it is associated

with a long-term survival benefit.

So prescribe statins as soon as possible, keep them on statins in the perioperative period, and keep them

on [lifelong statins] after surgery, Dr. Schouten concluded.

Dr. Schouten stated that he had nothing to disclose.

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Summary:

Results from an evaluation of random patients in a clinical trial showed that there is an apparent

remarkable or Legacy effect of perioperative statin theraphy resulting to an improved long term

survival following a vascular surgery.

Records show that an estimated 10% to 40% of perioperative deaths result from Myocardial infarction

according to a report by Dr. Don Poldermans and that the use of statins greatly reduced perioperative MI

and other cardiovascular events

R eaction:

I am greatly appreciative of the efforts of the researchers in finding ways to improve and limit

cardiovascular events following a vascular surgery. Personally, I am glad that such a study was conductedand even went further in identifying ways to combat cardiovascular events following a cardiovascular

surgery by the use of statins since I have a known familial history of cardiovascular disease and poses a

high risk of getting cardiovascular related diseases. Since Cardiovascular diseases are now considered a

lifestyle disease thereby affecting a great number of people around the world.

Statins or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are known class of drugs that are used to lower cholesterol

levels that acts by inhibiting the HMG-CoA reductase, which play a central role in the production of

cholesterol in the liver which have been associated with cardiovascular diseases.

Although statins have been widely used and are known to prevent cardiovascular incidents; however

studies like this that directly link the used of perioperative statins to a reduced instance of a

cardiovascular incident is very important in establishing new protocols and standards of care that benefit

or result to an improved patient care.

I do hope that more studies like this should be conducted especially one that aims to improve standard of

care for the benefit of the patient and the public.