Use of fluvastatin following percutaneous coronary intervention

Abstract

The use of percutaneous coronary intervention to remove occlusions from coronary arteries has increased substantially over recent years. Concurrent with the use of percutaneous coronary intervention, the use of lipid-lowering medications, such as statins, has increased. The Lescol Intervention and Prevention Study showed significant reductions with statins in postpercutaneous coronary intervention cardiac events. The cost– effectiveness of initiating statin use for all percutaneous coronary intervention patients is favorable, with significant health benefits (including improved survival) for relatively low additional costs (e.g., £3207 per quality-adjusted life year in the UK). Fluvastatin is the lowest cost statin currently available (less than the price of generic statins). Key economic issues include estimates of the current use of statins at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention and the likelihood of switching from more expensive statins to fluvastatin.

Keywords::

• angioplasty
• cholesterol
• coronary interventions
• cost–effectiveness
• cost–utility
• ischemic heart disease
• lipid-lowering drugs