Statins in the prevention of perioperative cardiovascular complications

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology

Volumn 18, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 51-55

  Schouten, Olaf ^a   Poldermans, Don ^a  

^a ERASMUS MEDICAL CENTER   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Cardiovascular complications; Perioperative; Statins; Vulnerable plaque

Indexed keywords

ATORVASTATIN; HYDROXYMETHYLGLUTARYL COENZYME A REDUCTASE INHIBITOR;

ANTIINFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY; ATHEROSCLEROTIC PLAQUE; CLINICAL RESEARCH; DRUG EFFECT; DRUG EFFICACY; DRUG SAFETY; HEART INFARCTION; HEART MUSCLE ISCHEMIA; HEART PROTECTION; HUMAN; MYOPATHY; PERIOPERATIVE PERIOD; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; RHABDOMYOLYSIS; RISK FACTOR;

EID: 14144252460     PISSN: 09527907     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00001503-200502000-00009     Document Type: Review

References (59)

1. Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Lancet 1994; 344:1383-1389.
2. Prevention of cardiovascular events and death with pravastatin in patients with coronary heart disease and a broad range of initial cholesterol levels. The Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) Study Group. N Engl J Med 1998; 339:1349-1357.
3. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of antioxidant vitamin supplementation in 20,536 high-risk individuals: a randomised placebo-controlled trial. Lancet 2002; 360:23-33.
4. Major outcomes in moderately hypercholesterolemic, hypertensive patients randomized to pravastatin vs usual care: the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT-LLT). JAMA 2002; 288:2998-3007.
5. Shepherd J, Blauw GJ, Murphy MB, et al. Pravastatin in elderly individuals at risk of vascular disease (PROSPER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2002; 360:1623-1630.
6. Shepherd J, Cobbe SM, Ford I, et al. Prevention of coronary heart disease with pravastatin in men with hypercholesterolemia. West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study Group. N Engl J Med 1995; 333:1301-1307.
7. Downs JR, Clearfield M, Weis S, et al. Primary prevention of acute coronary events with lovastatin in men and women with average cholesterol levels: results of AFCAPS/TexCAPS. Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study. JAMA 1998; 279:1615-1622.
8. Sever PS, Dahlof B, Poulter NR, et al. Prevention of coronary and stroke events with atorvastatin in hypertensive patients who have average or lower-than-average cholesterol concentrations, in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial - Lipid Lowering Arm (ASCOT-LLA): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2003; 361:1149-1158.
9. Sacks FM, Pfeffer MA, Moye LA, et al. The effect of pravastatin on coronary events after myocardial infarction in patients with average cholesterol levels. Cholesterol and Recurrent Events Trial investigators. N Engl J Med 1996; 335:1001-1009.
10. Takemoto M, Liao JK. Pleiotropic effects of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzymea reductase inhibitors. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2001; 21:1712-1719.
11. Halcox JP, Deanfield JE. Beyond the laboratory: clinical implications for statin pleiotropy. Circulation 2004; 109:II42-II48. An excellent, comprehensive and up-to-date review on the clinical implications of statin pleiotropy. Of special interest for readers not too familiar with statin pleiotropy.
12. Libby P, Ridker PM, Maseri A. Inflammation and atherosclerosis. Circulation 2002; 105:1135-1143.
13. Poldermans D, Bax JJ, Kertai MD, et al. Statins are associated with a reduced incidence of perioperative mortality in patients undergoing major noncardiac vascular surgery. Circulation 2003; 107:1848-1851. The first report of the beneficial influence of perioperative statin use on perioperative mortality.
14. Cohen MC, Aretz TH. Histological analysis of coronary artery lesions in fatal postoperative myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc Pathol 1999; 8:133-139.
15. Dawood MM, Gutpa DK, Southern J, et al. Pathology of fatal perioperative myocardial infarction: implications regarding pathophysiology and prevention. Int J Cardiol 1996; 57:37-44.
16. Zaman AG, Helft G, Worthley SG, Badimon JJ. The role of plaque rupture and thrombosis in coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis 2000; 149:251-266.
17. Priebe HJ. Triggers of perioperative myocardial ischaemia and infarction. Br J Anaesth 2004; 93:9-20. An interesting paper/review on the pathogenesis of perioperative myocardial events.
18. Nakamura M, Lee DP, Yeung AC. Identification and treatment of vulnerable plaque. Rev Cardiovasc Med 2004; 5(Suppl. 2):S22-S33. A comprehensive and up-to-date review on vulnerable plaques, their identification and treatment.
19. Gutstein DE, Fuster V. Pathophysiology and clinical significance of atherosclerotic plaque rupture. Cardiovasc Res 1999; 41:323-333.
20. Libby P, Aikawa M. Mechanisms of plaque stabilization with statins. Am J Cardiol 2003; 91:4B-8B.
21. Naghavi M, Libby P, Falk E, et al. From vulnerable plaque to vulnerable patient: a call for new definitions and risk assessment strategies: part I. Circulation 2003; 108:1664-1672. An outstanding and complete review (part 1 of 2) on the mechanisms and definitions of vulnerable plaques and their risk assessment. Strongly recommended reading.
22. Naghavi M, Libby P, Falk E, et al. From vulnerable plaque to vulnerable patient: a a call for new definitions and risk assessment strategies: part II. Circulation 2003; 108:1772-1778. An outstanding and complete review (part 2 of 2) on the mechanisms and definitions of vulnerable plaques and their risk assesment. Strongly recommended reading.
23. Willerson JT, Ridker PM. Inflammation as a cardiovascular risk factor. Circulation 2004; 109:II2-II10. An excellent review on inflammation as a cardiac riskfactor. The authors give an up-to-date and clinically relevant overview of recent developments and results from clinical trials on inflammation and the risk of cardiovascular events.
24. Aikawa M. Effects of statin therapy on vascular dysfunction. Coronary Artery Dis 2004; 15:227-233. A comprehensive and interesting review on the effect of statins on vascular dysfunction, including the effect of lipid lowering on plaque composition. This paper also includes an interesting discussion on the clinical relevance and future directions of statin therapy.
25. van Haelst PL, van Doormaal JJ, May JF, et al. Secondary prevention with fluvastatin decreases levels of adhesion molecules, neopterin and C-reactive protein. Eur J Intern Med 2001; 12:503-509.
26. Dichtl W, Dulak J, Frick M, et al. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors regulate inflammatory transcription factors in human endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2003; 23:58-63. An experimental study in which the authors provide more new evidence for the anti-inflammatory effects of statins based on their effect on transcription factors regulating the pathway of inflammation.
27. Furman C, Copin C, Kandoussi M, et al. Rosuvastatin reduces MMP-7 secretion by human monocyte-derived macrophages: potential relevance to atherosclerotic plaque stability. Atherosclerosis 2004; 174:93-98. This paper describes a possible new pleiotropic effect of statins.
28. Hernandez-Presa MA, Ortego M, Tunon J, et al. Simvastatin reduces NF-kappaB activity in peripheral mononuclear and in plaque cells of rabbit atheroma more markedly than lipid lowering diet. Cardiovasc Res 2003; 57:168-177. This paper describes a possible new pleiotropic effect of statins.
29. Jung KH, Chu K, Jeong SW, et al. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, atorvastatin, promotes sensorimotor recovery, suppressing acute inflammatory reaction after experimental intracerebral hemorrhage. Stroke 2004; 35:1744-1749. This paper describes the influence of the anti-inflammatory effects of statins on experimental haemorrhage.
30. Kleemann R, Verschuren L, de Rooij BJ, et al. Evidence for anti-inflammatory activity of statins and PPARalpha activators in human C-reactive protein transgenic mice in vivo and in cultured human hepatocytes in vitro. Blood 2004; 103:4188-4194. This paper describes a new explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects of statins.
31. Laufs U, La Fata V, Plutzky J, Liao JK. Upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase by HMG CoA reductase inhibitors. Circulation 1998; 97:1129-1135.
32. Wassmann S, Faul A, Hennen B, et al. Rapid effect of 3-hydroxy-3- methylglutaryl coenzyme a reductase inhibition on coronary endothelial function. Circ Res 2003; 93:e98-e103. An interesting article in which the authors give evidence of the fast (<24 h) improvement of endothelial function after statin therapy was started.
33. Xu Z, Zhao S, Zhou H, et al. Atorvastatin lowers plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Clin Chem 2004; 50:750-753. The authors describe a new (pleiotropic) protective mechanism of statins on acute coronary syndromes.
34. Beattie MS, Shlipak MG, Liu H, et al. C-reactive protein and ischemia in users and nonusers of beta-blockers and statins: data from the Heart and Soul Study. Circulation 2003; 107:245-250.
35. Ridker PM. Clinical application of C-reactive protein for cardiovascular disease detection and prevention. Circulation 2003; 107:363-369.
36. Ridker PM, Buring JE, Cook NR, Rifai N. C-reactive protein, the metabolic syndrome, and risk of incident cardiovascular events: an 8-year follow-up of 14719 initially healthy American women. Circulation 2003; 107:391-397.
37. Ridker PM. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk: from concept to clinical practice to clinical benefit. Am Heart J 2004; 148(Suppl. I):S19-S26. An interesting review on the clinical relevance of inflammation markers in the prevention or prediction of cardiovascular events.
38. Lombardo A, Biasucci LM, Lanza GA, et al. Inflammation as a possible link between coronary and carotid plaque instability. Circulation 2004; 109: 3158-3163. The authors provide new information on a possible systemic effect of inflammation on vulnerable plaque instability.
39. Schoenbeck U, Libby P. Inflammation, immunity, and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Statins as antiinflammatory agents? Circulation 2004; 109(Suppl. II): II18-II28.
40. Skaletz-Rorowski A, Lutchman M, Kureishi Y, et al. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors promote cholesterol-dependent Akt/PKB translocation to membrane domains in endothelial cells. Cardiovasc Res 2003; 57:253-264.
41. Wang TD, Chen WJ, Lin JW, et al. Efficacy of fenofibrate and simvastatin on endothelial function and inflammatory markers in patients with combined hyperlipidemia: relations with baseline lipid profiles. Atherosclerosis 2003; 170:315-323.
42. Lee TS, Chang CC, Zhu Y, Shyy JY. Simvastatin induces heme oxygenase-1. A novel mechanism of vessel protection. Circulation 2004; 110:1296-1302. The authors provide information on a new mechanism of vessel protection by simvastatin.
43. Xu ZM, Zhao SP, Li QZ, et al. Atorvastatin reduces plasma MCP-1 in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Clin Chim Acta 2003; 338:17-24.
44. Waehre T, Yndestad A, Smith C, et al. Increased expression of interleukin-1 in coronary artery disease with downregulatory effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Circulation 2004; 109:1966-1972. The authors describe a clinical study in which the anti-inflammatory effects of statins are investigated.
45. Walter DH, Zeiher AM, Dimmeler S. Effects of statins on endothelium and their contribution to neovascularization by mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells. Coronary Artery Dis 2004; 15:235-242. A paper describing a pleiotropic effect of statins on endothelial cells.
46. Durazzo AE, Machado FS, Ikeoka DT, et al. Reduction in cardiovascular events after vascular surgery with atorvastatin: a randomized trial. J Vasc Surg 2004; 39:967-975; discussion 975-976. The report of the first randomized trial set up to investigate possible perioperative cardiovascular risk reduction by statins.
47. Lindenauer PK, Pekow P, Wang K, et al. Lipid-lowering therapy and in-hospital mortality following major noncardiac surgery. JAMA 2004; 291: 2092-2099. A large cohort study in which the protective effect of perioperative statin use in patients undergoing major general surgery is reported. Although retrospective, this study provides us with a clear indication of the protective effects of perioperative statin use in a large study population of over 770 000 patients.
48. Henke PK, Blackburn S, Proctor MC, et al. Patients undergoing infrainguinal bypass to treat atherosclerotic vascular disease are underprescribed cardioprotective medications: effect on graft patency, limb salvage, and mortality. J Vasc Surg 2004; 39:357-365. A clinical study in which the authors could not find a positive relationship between statin use and a better perioperative cardiac outcome. It was underpowered for the outcome perioperative mortality and therefore not conclusive for the effect of statins on perioperative cardiac events.
49. Abbruzzese TA, Havens J, Belkin M, et al. Statin therapy is associated with improved patency of autogenous infrainguinal bypass grafts. J Vasc Surg 2004; 39:1178-1185. A study set up to investigate the relationship between statin use and the patency of infrainguinal bypasses. Secondarily, the authors also describe the effect of statins on perioperative cardiac outcomes, but no positive relationship was found.
50. Bellosta S, Paoletti R, Corsini A. Safety of statins: focus on clinical pharmacokinetics and drug interactions. Circulation 2004; 109:11150-11157. An excellent and comprehensive review on the safety of statin use, based on the known pharmacokinetic and drug interaction mechanism. Provides readers with easily readable and up-to-date information on this subject.
51. Thompson PD, Clarkson P, Karas RH. Statin-associated myopathy. JAMA 2003; 289:1681-1690.
52. Rosenson RS. Current overview of statin-induced myopathy. Am J Med 2004; 116:408-4016.
53. Pasternak RC, Smith SC Jr, Bairey-Merz CN, et al. ACC/AHA/NHLBI Clinical advisory on the use and safety of statins. Circulation 2002; 106:1024-1028.
54. Forestier F, Breton Y, Bonnet E, Janvier G. Severe rhabdomyolysis after laparoscopic surgery for adenocarcinoma of the rectum in two patients treated with statins. Anesthesiology 2002; 97:1019-1021.
55. Wilhelmi M, Winterhalter M, Fischer S, et al. Massive postoperative rhabdomyolysis following combined CABG/abdominal aortic replacement: a possible association with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 2002; 16:471-475.
56. Kertai MD, Boersma E, Westerhout CM, et al. A combination of statins and beta-blockers is independently associated with a reduction in the incidence of perioperative mortality and nonfatal myocardial infarction in patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 2004; 28:343-352. This paper proves that statin and beta-blocker therapy are independently effective in the reduction of perioperative cardiovascular adverse events. It is clinically important because beta-blockers are known to reduce perioperative cardiac events and statins might provide extra protection.
57. Wijeysundera DN, Naik JS, Beattie WS. Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists to prevent perioperative cardiovascular complications: a meta-analysis. Am J Med 2003; 114:742-752.
58. Kertai MD, Boersma E, Bax JJ, et al. Optimizing long-term cardiac management after major vascular surgery: role of beta-blocker therapy, clinical characteristics, and dobutamine stress echocardiography to optimize long-term cardiac management after major vascular surgery. Arch Intern Med 2003; 163:2230-2235.
59. Kertai MD, Boersma E, Westerhout CM, et al. Association between long-term statin use and mortality after successful abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. Am J Med 2004; 116:96-103. A clinically relevant paper pointing out the positive effect of long-term statin use on mortality after surgery.