Clinical outcomes with high-intensity statins according to atherothrombotic risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction: The FAST-MI registries.

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines strongly recommend high-intensity statin therapy after acute myocardial infarction.

AIMS

To analyse the relationship between prescription of high-intensity statin therapy at discharge and long-term clinical outcomes according to risk level defined by the Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction Risk Score for Secondary Prevention (TRS-2P) after acute myocardial infarction.

METHODS

We used data from the FAST-MI 2005 and 2010 registries - two nationwide French surveys including 7839 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction. Level of risk was stratified in three groups using the TRS-2P score: Group 1 (low risk; TRS-2P=0-1); Group 2 (intermediate risk; TRS-2P=2); and Group 3 (high risk; TRS-2P≥3).

RESULTS

Among the 7348 patients discharged alive with a TRS-2P available, high-intensity statin therapy was used in 41.3% in Group 1, 31.3% in Group 2 and 18.5% in Group 3. After multivariable adjustment, high-intensity statin therapy was associated with a non-significant decrease in major adverse cardiovascular events (death, stroke or recurrent myocardial infarction) at 5 years in the overall population compared with that in patients receiving intermediate- or low-intensity statins or without a statin prescription (14.3% vs 29.6%; hazard ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.81-1.09; P=0.42). In absolute terms, the decrease in major adverse cardiovascular events was positively correlated with risk level (Group 1: 8.1% vs 10.7%; Group 2: 14.8% vs 21.6%; Group 3: 30.8% vs 51.6%). However, after adjustment, the benefits of high-intensity statin therapy were associated with lower mortality only in high-risk patients (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.64-0.97; P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

High-intensity statin therapy at discharge after acute myocardial infarction was associated in absolute terms with fewer major adverse cardiovascular events at 5 years, regardless of atherothrombotic risk stratification, although the highest absolute reduction was found in the high-risk TRS-2P class.