Another Benefit for Long-Term Statin Use

Patients with STEMI who were on long-term statin therapy had smaller infarcts and a significantly higher myocardial salvage index.

Might long-term statin therapy diminish the extent of myocardial infarction (MI) in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)? Investigators prospectively evaluated these parameters in 230 such patients (21% female; mean age, 61); 50 patients (22%) were on long-term statin therapy at the time of infarct. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at a median of 4 days after primary PCI was used to determine infarct size (IS), myocardial salvage index (MSI), and microvascular obstruction.

In addition to significantly lower high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol levels, peak troponin I levels were lower in patients on long-term…

Reviewing Author

Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD, FACC

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBoehringer Ingelheim; Amgen; Novartis; Lilly; Amarin

Speaker’s BureauBoehringer Ingelheim

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsCirculation (Associate Editor)