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News — Two studies presented at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation's (CRF) Annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium have reinforced the use of statin therapy prior to, during and following cardiovascular surgical procedures. Treatment with statins, which have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce C-reactive protein levels, have been shown to decrease the risk of periprocedural (occurring before, during or following) coronary events.

Inflammation also plays an important role in coronary events, and specific protein called hs-CRP, or high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, has been associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). Additionally, measurement of hs-CRP has even been recommended for some patients because it may be useful in identifying patients at increased CAD risk who may benefit from statin therapy. Multiple large-scale clinical trials have shown statins may reduce mortality and morbidity in CAD.

The first defining study, by researchers at Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea, examined the effect of statins on the relationship between pre-procedural high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in heart disease patients and the re-blockage, or restenosis, of blood vessels treated with a stenting procedure. CRP levels are directly related to inflammation, and as a diagnostic tool, CRP levels reflect the presence and intensity of inflammation in the body.

Results showed that in patients with normal CRP, an association between the use of statins and restenosis was not observed. However, when the analysis was confined to patients with elevated CRP, and thus higher levels of inflammation, statin therapy significantly reduced rates of restenosis.

"The results of this study not only revealed that it might be helpful to measure pre-interventional hs-CRP levels to predict restenosis after stenting, but also confirmed that statin therapy significantly reduces restenosis rate in patients with elevated levels of hs-CRP," said Myung Ho Jeong, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital. "Very few studies have addressed the relationship between statins and cardiovascular events, but this study helps to further define that relationship through observation of hs-CRP."

The study included 100 patients who underwent stent implantation for significantly blocked, or stenosed, coronary arteries, and were divided into a normal CRP group and an elevated CRP group on the basis of blood levels of CRP. All patients underwent angiographic and intravascular ultrasound follow-up at six months.

Statin therapy has become an integral part of managing patients with heart disease. Previous research has shown statin therapy to significantly reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with or at risk of coronary artery disease. More recently, there has been increasing evidence that early and aggressive statin therapy in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) can also decrease unfavorable cardiovascular events.

The second study by researchers from the UCLA School of Medicine and the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration in Los Angeles, Calif, was a meta-analysis of studies looking at the effects of statin therapy in approximately 8000 patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Results showed that patients who received a statin before PCI experienced a significant 60% (3.7% vs. 9.2%) reduction in heart attacks occurring as a result of the procedure as opposed to those who did not receive statins before the procedure. In addition, previous statin use led to a 20% decrease in major adverse coronary events (MACE) following the procedure. These included death, non-fatal heart attacks, and procedures to re-open a blocked heart arteries.

"The recent discovery of the many benefits of statin therapy in patients with cardiovascular disorders has led to a dramatic increase in the use of this class of agents," said Ramin Ebrahimi, M.D., UCLA School of Medicine and the lead investigator of the study. "This meta-analysis further supports the beneficial effects of statins in patients with atherosclerosis and points to possibly a new indication for their use in such patients. In addition the study points to other mechanisms of action of these agents beside the well known lipid lowering effects."

About CRF and TCTThe Cardiovascular Research Foundation is dedicated to research and education in the broad subspecialty of interventional cardiology and endovascular medicine. By establishing the safe use of new technologies and pharmacologic agents, CRF has played a major role in the remarkable advances in survival and quality of life for patients with cardiovascular disease. CRF is the sponsor of the 17th Annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, one of the largest interventional vascular medicine meetings in the world. For more information, please visit .