Statins in patients with MI and acute heart failure: results from the EPHESUS trial
Abstract
Literature -Statin therapy and clinical outcomes in myocardial infarction patients complicated by acute heart failure: insights from the EPHESUS trial.
Dobre D, Rossignol P, Murin J, et al.
Eur J Heart Fail. 2013;15(2):221-7. doi: 10.1093/eurjhf/hfs128.
Background
In acute and post-acute myocardial infarction, statin therapy improves cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality [1-4]. Patients with acute heart failure were however often excluded from trials [4-8]. Statin therapy may also be beneficial in initial stages of heart failure. In the EPHESUS trial(Eplerenone Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival study), the effects of the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist eplerenone were assessed in patients with acute MI complicated by clinical signs and symptoms of HF and left ventricular dysfunction [9]. About half of the patients also used a statin at baseline.This study assessed the association between statin prescription at baseline and clinical outcomes in patients with acute systolic heart failure included in the EPHESUS trial.
Main results
- During a mean follow-up of 16 ± 7 months, all-cause death occurred in 385 (12%) patients with and in 647 (18%) patients without a statin. In univariate survival analysis, the risk of all-cause death was 34% lower in statin vs. non-statin users (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.59-0.75, P<0.001) (fig. 1).
- After extensive adjustment, the risk of all-cause death remained 20% lower in patients with vs. those without a statin (HR 0.80, 95% CI 0.69–0.92, P = 0.001), mostly due to a lower risk of CV death (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65–0.88, P = 0.0002). The reduction of CV death was mainly due to a lower rate of sudden death (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61–0.96, P = 0.02) and death from stroke (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.28–0.96, P = 0.04), but was also due a lower rate of death from worsening HF and from recurrent acute MI.
- Statin use was associated with a higher risk of non-CV hospitalizations (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02–1.33, P = 0.02)
Conclusion
Patients with acute HF complicating acute MI may benefit from being on statin therapy, with a lower risk of all-cause death, mainly attributable to a lower rate of CV death.Prospective clinical trials are required to validate these findings.![]() Figure 1Kaplan-Meier survival curves (all-cause death) in patients who receive or not a statin at baseline. |
References
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Aims:
Several clinical trials have shown that in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), statin therapy improves cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, but in these trials patients with acute heart failure (HF) were excluded or only a few were included. In patients with chronic HF, statin therapy does not reduce all-cause or CV mortality. We aimed to assess the association between statin therapy and clinical outcomes in the setting of acute HF with systolic dysfunction complicating acute MI.
Methods and results:
We performed a post-hoc analysis in 6632 patients included in the EPHESUS trial. The mean age of patients was 64 years and 71% were male. Overall, 47% of patients had a statin prescribed at baseline. Cox regression models and a secondary analysis using propensity score matching were fit to assess the association between statin prescription and clinical outcomes. During a mean follow-up of 16 ± 7 months, all-cause death occurred in 385 (12%) patients with and in 647 (18%) patients without a statin (P < 0.001). After extensive adjustment, the risk of all-cause death was 20% lower in patients on statin [hazard ratio (HR) 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.92, P = 0.001]. This positive association was mostly due to a lower risk of CV death (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.88, P = 0.0002). In contrast, statin use was associated with a higher risk of non-CV hospitalizations (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.33, P = 0.02).
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that patients with acute HF complicating acute MI may benefit from being on statin therapy. Prospective clinical trials are required to validate these findings.