Findings of a new study reveals of another benefit of cholesterol-lowering drug statin. It appears that statins can reduce a person's risks of dying during a heart bypass operation.
In a new study presented at the European Society of Anaesthesiology's Euroanaesthesia meeting, researchers looked at the data of over 16,000 individuals who were at least 40 years old and went through coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), a procedure that diverts the blood around narrowed or blocked arteries to improve the supply of oxygen and blood to the heart.
The researchers found that the patients who took statins had 67 percent less likelihood of dying around the time of the surgery when compared with the average risk linked with the operation. The risks of death within six months were also found to be significantly lower among patients who were statin users prior to their operation.
Other medications, however, including ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, beta blocks and alpha-2 agonists did not appear to have the same effect as statins.
The study likewise showed that Simvastatin, the most commonly prescribed statin drug, reduces risks of death by 77 percent. Further data are required to determine if all statins have similar effect.
Study researcher Robert Sanders, from the University of Wisconsin, said that the positive effect of statin on heart bypass surgery patients could be attributed to the drug's ability to reduce inflammation instead of lowering cholesterol level, which statins are best known for.
Sanders said that health practitioners should consider giving statins to patients who will undergo bypass operation provided that the drug does not cause them to experience side effects.
"In combination with previous studies, these data suggest that patients not taking statins should be considered for statin therapy based on their perioperative and chronic health risks," the researchers said. "Consistent evidence of benefit or harm of the other drugs was not observed. Further data on the relative benefits of individual statin drugs are required -- however this study suggests that at least simvastatin offers protection."
The study did not provide information on the length of time a patient needs to take statins before going through bypass procedure to experience its protective effects albeit future research could hopefully show that a short course will help, which means that even individuals who experience side effects from the drugs could still experience statins' protective benefit.
Photo: Sandra Cohen-Rose and Colin Rose | Flickr
