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The development of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) has been a very significant development in the management of coronary artery disease. Large prospective clinical trials have provided unequivocal evidence that cholesterol lowering therapy with statins reduces all-cause mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. There is now accumulating data indicating that statin treatment should be initiated early after an acute coronary syndrome. This body of evidence is based on large databases in which investigators compared outcomes among patients taking statins with those patients who were not prescribed cholesterol lowering therapy. Prospective, randomized, clinical trials also indicate that early statin therapy reduces recurrent ischemia. Finally, studies examining long-term compliance with statin therapy suggest increased adherence to therapy when statins are prescribed during the initial hospitalization for an acute coronary syndrome. In tandem with these clinical observations, there is a large body of scientific data that highlights many important cellular and molecular mechanisms through which statins may confer early benefit. These effects involve relatively rapid improvement in endothelial function, antiischemic, antithrombotic and antiinflammatory actions of statins.