THE EFFECT OF PRAVASTATIN ON PREVENTION OF RESTENOSIS AFTER SUCCESSFUL PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

Numerous attempts have been made to prevent late restenosis after succ essful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), but ther e is still no effective treatment. This report describes the effect of an oral lipid-lowering agent, pravastatin, on restenosis after succes sful PTCA. Sixty-six patients who underwent successful elective PTCA w ere assigned to a pravastatin-treated group (Group 1, n=29) or an untr eated group (Group 2, n=37) in a prospective and randomized fashion. P ravastatin(S mg or 10 mg twice a day) was given to Group 1 patients fr om day 3 after the procedure. Selective coronary angiography was repea ted 3 to 5 months later, or sooner if the patient developed angina pec toris. The serum cholesterol level was decreased significantly in Grou p 1 (from 215.7+/-44.3 mg/dl to 181.2+/-30.3 mg/dl, p<0.001), but not in Group 2 (from 191.9+/-30.5 mg/dl to 191.5+/-33.3 mg/dl, p=ns), at t he time of repeat coronary angiography. However, there were no differe nces between the groups with regard to the recurrence of angina, the n eed for repeat PTCA, or restenosis, as assessed by quantitative analys is of coronary cineangiograms. These results suggest that oral pravast atin therapy does not effectively prevent late restenosis after succes sful PTCA by this mode of administration.