Mortality and incidence of cardiovascular events in patients treated with aspirin and statins at one year after myocardial injury in noncardiac surgery: a prospective observational study.

Background: Recommendations on the diagnosis and management of myocardial injury in noncardiac surgery (MINS) show remarkable variability. Mortality reports also vary. We aimed to describe mortality and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE) rates in patients with silent MINS treated with postoperative aspirin-statin therapy and with cardiology follow-up.

Methods: Prospective descriptive cohort study of patients aged 45 years or older scheduled for noncardiac surgery with high risk for cardiovascular complications from May 2017 to April 2019. Aspirin-statin therapy and cardiology follow-up were prescribed for patients with silent (asymptomatic) MINS. The primary outcome was one-year mortality in patients with silent MINS, diagnosed by troponin concentration. Secondary outcomes were mortality in MINS patients with perioperative myocardial infarction (PMI) or chronic myocardial injury (CMI) and MACCE.

Results: We identified 766 eligible patients and enrolled 747. MINS occurred in 166 patients (22.2%); 151 (91%) had silent MINS and 15 (9%) had PMI. Thirty-one patients (4.1%) had CMI. One-year mortality was higher in patients with silent MINS (22.5%) than in patients with no MINS (7.8%) (P<0.001). One-year mortality rates in MINS patients with PMI or CMI were 27 and 19%, respectively. MACCE were more frequent in patients with silent MINS at 30 days and one year (18 and 25%) than in patients with no MINS (6 and 12%, respectively).

Conclusions: Rates of mortality and MACCE in patients with silent MINS were high despite aspirin-statin therapy and cardiology follow-up. Further prospective research is needed to assess new postoperative care protocols that might effectively improve outcomes.