Statins increase the risk of angina by 15% in patients receiving angioplasty treatment

This study was published in Heart 2004 Apr;90(4):448-9

 

Study title and authors:

Effect of statin treatment on coronary collateral flow in patients with coronary artery disease.

Zbinden S, Brunner N, Wustmann K, Billinger M, Meier B, Seiler C.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15020529

 

Collateral blood vessels are small capillary-like branches of an artery that form over time in response to narrowed coronary arteries. The collaterals "bypass" the area of narrowing and help to restore blood flow.

 

A coronary angioplasty is a procedure used to widen blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. A short wire-mesh tube, called a stent, is inserted into an artery to allow blood to flow more freely through it.

A balloon occlusion test is a way to see whether one artery can be temporarily or permanently blocked without significantly affecting the level of blood in your brain. The procedure utilizes an X-ray and a special dye to create detailed images of your arteries and a small balloon, which when inflated will temporarily block your artery.

 

This study investigated the influence of statins on the formation of collateral arteries in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing coronary angioplasty. The study included 500 patients who had their collateral blood vessels assessed whilst undergoing angioplasty.

 

The study found:

(a) Measurement by electrocardiogram revealed patients taking statins had a 14% increased risk of insufficient collateral arteries compared to patients not taking statins.

(b) Patients taking statins had a 15% increased risk of suffering angina during a balloon occlusion test compared to patients not taking statins.