Which is the best statin for the postoperative coronary artery bypass graft patient?

The progression of atherosclerosis following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery results in the need for re-vascularisation therapy in a significant proportion of patients. It is well recognised that this risk can be lowered by controlling the level of tow-density lipid cholesterol (LDL-C) which can be achieved easily and safety with the use of statins. The choice of which is the best statin in post-CABG patients remains unclear. It has been shown that for milligram-equivalent doses, rosuvastatin provides the greatest LDL-C reduction and greatest number of patients achieving LDL-C targets in comparison with simvastatin and atorvastatin. Rosuvastatin's superiority over other statins in allowing patients to reach LDL-C targets has been maintained in 'real-wortd' observational studies. Rosuvastatin has also been shown to increase high-density lipid cholesterol (HDL-C) by greater proportions in comparison with other statins, providing increased anti-atherogenic effects. There are several statins currently available, some of which are now generic. However, the empirical use of generic statins does not necessarily translate into a cost-effective treatment option. This article reviews the rationale for lipid-lowering therapy in patients following CABG. We also took objectively at which is the best statin for use in the post-CABG patient, discussing effectiveness, cost and tolerability. (C) 2009 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.