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Miraculous Findings from Study of Statins

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Miraculous Findings from Study of Statins

Canadian heart attack patients may benefit from earlier treatment with statins, safeguarding them against future heart attacks. The Myocardial Ischemia Reduction with Aggressive Cholesterol Lowering (MIRACL) trial, results of which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first study to demonstrate a clinical benefit from cholesterol-lowering therapy within 16 weeks following an acute coronary event. Previous studies had excluded patients who had experienced a recent heart attack or severe chest pain within the last three to six months; it is within this interval that most patients experience an acute coronary event and that the mortality rate is highest. Results of the MIRACL trial showed that treatment with atorvastatin significantly reduced the risk of experiencing a subsequent cardiovascular event when compared to placebo.

It is well established that statins benefit patients with heart disease but these are the first data to demonstrate that there is a benefit to giving patients statins within days of a heart attack. Currently, hospitalized heart attack patients are given a number of medications including aspirin, heparin, nitrates and beta-blockers, intended to target various aspects of the acute coronary condition. However, most patients do not receive cholesterol-lowering medication.

Source

  1. Schwartz GG, et al. Journal of the American Medical Association 2001; 285:1711-18.
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