Statin therapy improves cardiovascular outcome of patients with peripheral artery disease

• Published in: European heart journal 2004-05, Vol.25 (9), p.742-748
• Main Authors: Schillinger, Martin, Exner, Markus, Mlekusch, Wolfgang, Amighi, Jasmin, Sabeti, Schila, Muellner, Marcus, Rumpold, Helmut, Wagner, Oswald, Minar, Erich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Apolipoproteins - blood; Biological and medical sciences; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Cardiology. Vascular system; Death, Sudden, Cardiac - etiology; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Fibrinogen - analysis; Humans; Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Inflammation; Leukocyte Count; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mortality; Myocardial Infarction - etiology; Myocardial Infarction - mortality; Neutrophils; Peripheral vascular disease; Peripheral Vascular Diseases - drug therapy; Peripheral Vascular Diseases - mortality; Prospective Studies; Serum Amyloid A Protein; Statins; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0195-668X; 1522-9645
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ehj.2004.02.012

Aims We sought to examine the interrelationship between statin use, inflammation, and outcome of high-risk patients with advanced atherosclerosis. Methods and results We prospectively studied 515 patients with severe peripheral artery disease (median age 70 years, 296 males). The cardiovascular risk profile and laboratory parameters of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], serum amyloid A [SAA], fibrinogen, serum albumin, neutrophil counts) were obtained, and patients were followed for a median of 21 months (interquartile range 12–25) for the occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) and death. We observed 19 MIs (5 fatal and 14 nonfatal) and 65 deaths. Cumulative survival and event-free survival rates (freedom from death and MI) at 6, 12, and 24 months were 97%, 95%, and 89%, and 96%, 93% and 87%, respectively. Patients receiving statin therapy (\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(n=269\) \end{document}, 52%) had a lower level of inflammation (hs-CRP \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(p{