Statin Use, and Possible Statin Intolerance, After Acute MI

Patients deemed to be intolerant of statins were 50% more likely than statin-adherent patients to have a recurrent myocardial infarction or a coronary heart disease event.

Current evidence-based guidelines state that all patients with acute coronary syndromes should begin high-intensity statin therapy. Unfortunately, many patients report intolerance to the drug and stop or decrease the dose. Using Medicare data on 105,329 beneficiaries with an acute myocardial infarction (MI) who began moderate or high-intensity statins within 30 days of hospital discharge, this manufacturer-supported study examined recurrent MI, coronary heart disease (CHD) events, and mortality in statin-intolerant and statin-adherent patients.

The authors developed a working definition of statin intolerance that included the initiation of ezetimibe with statin discontinuation or within 7 days after the statin dose was down-titrated; a diagn…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Statin Use, and Possible Statin Intolerance, After Acute MI

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Reviewing Author