ATLANTA, GA (March 14, 2006) -- With an increasing proportion of the American public taking therapies like statins and beta-blockers to manage heart-related risks, physicians are evaluating the potential long-term effects of these medicines on overall health. In research presented today during the American College of Cardiology's 55th Annual Scientific Session, the value of these medicines may be even more significant than previously thought on long-term survival rates. ACC.06 is the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, bringing together over 30,000 cardiologists to further breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine.

Benefit of Early Statin Therapy During Acute Coronary Syndromes: A Meta-Analysis (821-5)

Statins have gained increasing support in their ability to reduce cholesterol, which is strongly associated with cardiac health. Researchers have begun evaluating the value of initiating statin treatment early during acute coronary syndromes (ACS), but research has not yet confirmed an improvement in individual outcomes. ACS encompasses a variety of conditions that involve chest discomfort and are associated with a lack of oxygen to the heart. Through this meta-analysis, researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio found that aggressive therapy with statin drugs early in ACS results in a significant survival benefit.

To complete the analysis, the team evaluated eight independent studies, including a total of 15,995 randomized patients who received statin therapy early in an event (8,037 on aggressive therapy, 7,958 on conservative therapy). Overall, the incidence of all-cause mortality was statistically significantly reduced in the aggressively treated group as compared to patients on conservative treatment (3.1 percent versus 4.0 percent). The incidence of a recurrent heart attack was not reduced, although stroke was marginally reduced, at 0.91 percent vs. 1.2 percent, respectively. In addition, the researchers
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14-Mar-2006

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