Statin therapy to reduce stent thrombosis in acute myocardial infarction patients with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.

Objective: We investigated whether statin therapy and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were associated with the risk of stent thrombosis (ST) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

Methods: A total of 9,162 AMI patients who underwent coronary stent implantation were analyzed in the Korean Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry. The study population was divided into four groups according to level of hs-CRP and peri-procedural statin treatment: low hs-CRP (≤ 2.0mg/L) and high hs-CRP (>2mg/L) with or without statin therapy. We compared the incidence of early ST among the groups.

Results: Statin therapy did not significantly affect the development of early ST in the low hs-CRP group. In the high hs-CRP group, however, the incidence of early ST was significantly decreased with statin treatment. In a subgroup analysis of the high hs-CRP group, patients aged less than 65 years, without diabetes, with a high body mass index, and with a high Killip class seemed to benefit more from statin therapy. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis of the high hs-CRP group, lack of statin therapy was a significant predictor of ST incidence.

Conclusions: Peri-procedural statin treatment had an effect on reduced incidence of early ST in AMI patients with high levels of hs-CRP.