Effects of Aggressive Statin Therapy on Patients With Coronary Saphenous Vein Bypass Grafts: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of aggressive statin versus moderate statin therapy on patients with saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) in randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). Methods We searched MEDLINE (1980–June 2012), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, EMBASE, Science Citation Index, and PubMed (to June 2012), and found 10 relevant RCTs, including 7 substudy analyses from a Post-CABG trial, and 1 pooled analysis of the PROVE-IT TIMI 22 trial (Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 22 Investigators) and A to Z trial. Early intensive vs a delayed conservative simvastatin strategy in patients with acute coronary syndromes; phase Z of the A to Z trial. Results A total of 6645 of participants, ages ranging from 21 to 75 years old, were treated with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and were followed for 2 to 5 years. Eight studies showed that aggressive statin therapy had lower LDL-C levels and a decrease of 39% in graft atherosclerotic progression, 12% in new occlusions, and 19% in new lesions more than moderate statin therapy. Three reports indicated that aggressive statin therapy lowered the risk of repeated myocardial infarction more than moderate statin therapy for coronary revascularization (95% CI, 0.66–0.95; risk ratio [RR] = 0.80; and 95% CI, 0.66–0.85; RR = 0.75) and lowered the risk of cardiac death as well (95% CI, 0.64–1.08; RR = 0.83). Aggressive statin therapy had safety similar to that of moderate statin therapy except for a slight increase in myopathic events and aminotransferase levels. Seventy percent to 90% of patients took statin treatment as prescribed in long-term. Conclusions Compared with moderate statin therapy, long-term aggressive statin lowered the LDL-C level significantly, further decreased the atherosclerotic progression of SVG, reduced the risks of repeated myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization after CABG, and revealed similar patient compliance and statin-related adverse effects but slightly increased myopathy events and aminotransferase levels.