No Added Value in Periprocedural Loading Doses of Atorvastatin in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

But no harm either — chronic statin administration is still crucial.

Despite the recognized beneficial effects of statins in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the optimal timing of statin administration and the effects of periprocedural loading doses of statins on clinical outcomes are not known. To examine the effect of periprocedural statins, researchers randomized 4191 patients with ACS and a planned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to receive loading doses of 80-mg atorvastatin before and 24 hours after the PCI or to matching placebo (mean age, 62; 26% women). Starting 24 hours after the second loading dose, all patients received 40-mg atorvastatin daily for 30 days (NCT01448642).

A total of 2710 participants underwent PCI (65%), 333 underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (8%), and 1…

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)