Statin treatment is associated with a higher death rate and a higher risk of heart attack in angioplasty patients

This study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine 1994 Nov 17;331(20):1331-7

 

Study title and authors:

Lack of effect of lovastatin on restenosis after coronary angioplasty. Lovastatin Restenosis Trial Study Group.

Weintraub WS, Boccuzzi SJ, Klein JL, Kosinski AS, King SB 3rd, Ivanhoe R, Cedarholm JC, Stillabower ME, Talley JD, DeMaio SJ

Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7935702

This six month, randomized, double-blind trial evaluated the effects of lovastatin in 404 patients who had undergone angioplasty. (Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening narrowed or obstructed arteries). The patients received either lovastatin (40 mg orally twice daily) or placebo.

The study found:
(a) Patients receiving lovastatin had a 200% increased risk of death compared to the patients receiving placebo.
(b) Patients receiving lovastatin had a 177% increased risk of a heart attack compared to the patients receiving placebo.

The data from the study reveals that statin treatment is associated with a higher death rate and a higher risk of heart attack in angioplasty patients.

Statins double the risk of death in patients with coronary artery disease

This study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine 1993 Nov 15;119(10):969-76

Study title and authors:
Coronary angiographic changes with lovastatin therapy. The Monitored Atherosclerosis Regression Study (MARS).

Blankenhorn DH, Azen SP, Kramsch DM, Mack WJ, Cashin-Hemphill L, Hodis HN, DeBoer LW, Mahrer PR, Masteller MJ, Vailas LI, Alaupovic P, Hirsch LJ; MARS Research Group.
University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8214993

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study assessed the effects of lovastatin in patients with coronary artery disease. The trial included 270 patients, 37 to 67 years old who received either 80 mg/day of lovastatin, or placebo.

The study found that the patients receiving lovastatin had a 104% increased risk of death.

Statins are associated with higher death rates, higher cardiac death rates and increased risk of cancer

This study was published in Circulation 2000 Oct 10;102(15):1748-54

 

Study title and authors:

Long-term effects of cholesterol lowering and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition on coronary atherosclerosis: The Simvastatin/Enalapril Coronary Atherosclerosis Trial (SCAT).

Teo KK, Burton JR, Buller CE, Plante S, Catellier D, Tymchak W, Dzavik V, Taylor D, Yokoyama S, Montague TJ.

University of Alberta Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. teok@fhs.mcmaster.ca

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11023927

One of the aims of this long-term, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of simvastatin in patients with normal cholesterol levels and with detectable plaque build up in at least three major coronary artery segments. The study lasted for four years and included  a total of 460 patients: 230 received simvastatin and 230, a placebo.

The study found:
(a) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 117% increased risk of death compared to the patients receiving placebo.
(b) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 76% increased risk of cardiac death compared to the patients receiving placebo.
(c) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 225% increased risk of non-cardiac death compared to the patients receiving placebo.
(d) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 9% increased risk of a heart attack compared to the patients receiving placebo.
(e) The patients receiving simvastatin had a 78% increased risk of cancer compared to the patients receiving placebo.

The data from the study reveals that statins are associated with higher death rates, higher cardiac death rates and increased risk of cancer. 

Statin treatment increases the risk of death by 301% after balloon angioplasty

This study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology 1997 Oct;30(4):863-9

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of pravastatin on angiographic restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty. The PREDICT Trial Investigators. Prevention of Restenosis by Elisor after Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty.

Bertrand ME, McFadden EP, Fruchart JC, Van Belle E, Commeau P, Grollier G, Bassand JP, Machecourt J, Cassagnes J, Mossard JM, Vacheron A, Castaigne A, Danchin N, Lablanche JM.

Division of Cardiology B, Hôpital Cardiologique, Lille, France. bertrandme@AOL.com

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9316510

This study investigated the effects of pravastatin treatment after coronary balloon angioplasty. (Coronary angioplasty is accomplished using a balloon-tipped catheter inserted through an artery in the groin or arm to enlarge a narrowing in a coronary artery). In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, 695 patients were randomized to receive pravastatin (40 mg/day) or placebo for 6 months after successful balloon angioplasty.

The study found that the patients on statin treatment had a 301% increased risk of death compared to the patients receiving placebo.

Statins increase the risk of death in four year trial

This study was published in Circulation 2004 Nov 2;110(18):2809-16

Study title and authors
Effects of fosinopril and pravastatin on cardiovascular events in subjects with microalbuminuria.

Asselbergs FW, Diercks GF, Hillege HL, van Boven AJ, Janssen WM, Voors AA, de Zeeuw D, de Jong PE, van Veldhuisen DJ, van Gilst WH; Prevention of Renal and Vascular Endstage Disease Intervention Trial (PREVEND IT) Investigators.
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15492322

One of the aims of this study was to investigate the effect of statins on people aged 28 to 75 years old. This section of the study, which lasted nearly four years, included 217 people who were given statins and 216 people who were given a placebo.

The study found that those given statins had a 6% increased risk of death compared to those given a placebo.

Statins increase the risk of death by 4.3%

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 1998 May 27;279(20):1615-22

Study title and authors:
Primary prevention of acute coronary events with lovastatin in men and women with average cholesterol levels: results of AFCAPS/TexCAPS. Air Force/Texas Coronary Atherosclerosis Prevention Study.

Downs JR, Clearfield M, Weis S, Whitney E, Shapiro DR, Beere PA, Langendorfer A, Stein EA, Kruyer W, Gotto AM Jr.
Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Tex, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9613910

This study investigated the effect of statin treatment on men and women without cardiovascular disease, with average total cholesterol and average low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels and below-average high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels. The study included 5,608 men and 997 women who were given either lovastatin (20-40 mg daily) or placebo and followed for an average of 5.2 years.

The study found that those given the statins had a 4.3% increased risk of death compared to those given the placebo.
 

Atorvastatin increases the death rate in diabetic patients

This study was published in Diabetes Care 2006 Jul;29(7):1478-85

Study title and authors:

Efficacy and safety of atorvastatin in the prevention of cardiovascular end points in subjects with type 2 diabetes: the Atorvastatin Study for Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease Endpoints in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (ASPEN).

Knopp RH, d'Emden M, Smilde JG, Pocock SJ.

Harborview Medical Center, 325 Ninth Ave., #359720, Seattle, WA 98104-2499, USA. rhknopp@u.washington.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16801565.1

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of 10 mg of atorvastatin versus placebo in subjects with type 2 diabetes and low LDL cholesterol levels. The study lasted four years and included 2,410 subjects who were assigned to receive 10 mg of atorvastatin or placebo.

The study found that those who were assigned atorvastatin had a 6% increased risk of death compared to those who were assigned placebo.

The data from this study shows that atorvastatin increases the death rate in patients who have type 2 diabetes.

Links to other studies:
Statins increase the risk of diabetes by 48%
Statin therapy associated with a 9% increased risk for diabetes
Statin treatment increases cardiovascular diseases in diabetics by 31%