Preprocedural high - sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) decrease during intensive atorvastatin therapy: the presumable impact on atherosclerosis progression after coronary stenting

Abstract

Proinflammatory status is the risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis progression after coronary stenting (CS). Intensive statin treatment is associated with hsCRP concentration decline. Aim: to evaluate prognostic significance of preprocedural hsCRP level reduction with intensive statin regimen for coronary atherosclerosis progression during one year after CS. Materials and methods. We enrolled 102 patients with stable angina who were on list for scheduled CS. Group I (n=37) patients received atorvastatin 80 mg for 7 days before and 3 months after CS with further dose adjustment according to LDL; group II (n=65) patients received atorvastatin 20-40 mg/day for LDL goal achievement. HsCRP level was assessed at baseline, before CS and after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Coronary atherosclerosis progression was defined as new ≥50% stenosis or ≥30% increase of ≥20% pre - existing stenosis according to coronary angiography (CA) 1 year after CS. Results. Baseline concentration of hsCRP was comparable: 0.21 (0.13; 0.38) vs. 0.20 (0.1; 0.44) mg/dl in groups I and II, respectively (p>0.05). In group I significant hsCRP level decrease to 0.14 (0.07; 0.32) mg/dl (p