Journal of cardiothoracic and vascular anesthesia
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J. Cardiothorac. Vasc. Anesth. · Oct 2010
ReviewProgress in perioperative medicine: focus on statins.
Beyond cholesterol reduction, statins have multiple beneficial influences on vascular endothelial function, atherosclerotic plaque stability, inflammation, and thrombosis. These favorable pleiotropic effects may be the basis for their perioperative risk reduction in cardiothoracic and vascular procedures. The published evidence suggests that statins offer significant outcome benefits throughout perioperative practice. ⋯ The pleiotropic effects of statins also appear to have therapeutic roles in the progression of valve disease, sepsis, and venous thrombosis. Further trials are required to provide data to drive their safe and comprehensive perioperative application for optimal patient outcome both in the short term and the long term. Because there are multiple randomized trials currently in progress throughout perioperative medicine, it is very likely that the indications for statins will be expanded significantly.