Based on moderate quality evidence , due to concerns about risk of bias and imprecision , initiation of statin therapy within 14 days following ACS does not reduce death , myocardial infa rct ion , or stroke up to four months , but reduces the occurrence of unstable angina at four months following ACS .
Serious side effects were rare
BACKGROUND The early period following the onset of acute coronary syndrome ( ACS ) represents a critical stage of coronary heart disease , with a high risk of recurrent events and deaths .
The short-term effects of early treatment with statins on patient-relevant outcomes in patients suffering from ACS are unclear .
This is an up date of a review previously published in 2011 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects , both harms and benefits , of early administered statins in patients with ACS , in terms of mortality and cardiovascular events .
Effect of lipid-lowering therapy on early mortality after acute coronary syndromes: an observational study
BACKGROUND Lipid-lowering agents are known to reduce long-term mortality in patients with stable coronary disease or significant risk factors . However , the effect of lipid-lowering therapy on short-term mortality immediately after an acute coronary syndrome has not been determined . We did an observational study using data from two r and omised trials to investigate this issue . METHODS We used data from the GUSTO IIb and PURSUIT trials to compare all-cause mortality among patients with acute coronary syndromes who were discharged on lipid-lowering agents ( n=3653 ) with those who were not ( n=17,156 ) . A propensity analysis was done to adjust for presumed selection biases in the prescription of lipid-lowering agents . FINDINGS Lipid-lowering therapy was associated with a smaller proportion of deaths at 30 days ( 17 [ 0.5 % ] vs 179 [ 1.0 % ] , hazard ratio 0.44 [ 95 % CI 0.27 - 0.73 ] , p=0.001 ) and at 6 months ( 63 [ 1.7 % ] vs 605 [ 3.5 % ] , 0.48 [ 0.37 - 0.63 ] , p<0.0001 ) . After adjustment for the propensity to be prescribed lipid-lowering agents and other potential confounders , prescription of a lipid-lowering agent at discharge remained associated with a reduced risk of death at 6 months ( 0.67 [ 0.48 - 0.95 ] , p=0.023 ) . INTERPRETATION Prescription of a lipid-lowering drug at hospital discharge was independently associated with reduced short-term mortality among patients after an acute coronary syndrome
Based on moderate quality evidence , due to concerns about risk of bias and imprecision , initiation of statin therapy within 14 days following ACS does not reduce death , myocardial infa rct ion , or stroke up to four months , but reduces the occurrence of unstable angina at four months following ACS .
Serious side effects were rare
BACKGROUND The early period following the onset of acute coronary syndrome ( ACS ) represents a critical stage of coronary heart disease , with a high risk of recurrent events and deaths .
The short-term effects of early treatment with statins on patient-relevant outcomes in patients suffering from ACS are unclear .
This is an up date of a review previously published in 2011 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects , both harms and benefits , of early administered statins in patients with ACS , in terms of mortality and cardiovascular events .