Monotherapy versus combination therapy of statin and renin–angiotensin system inhibitor in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND: The beneficial effects of statin and renin–angiotensin system inhibitor (RASI) are well-known. In this retrospective cohort study, 2-year clinical outcomes were compared between monotherapy and combination therapy with statin and RASI in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients after stent implantation. METHODS: A total of 17,414 STEMI patients were enrolled and divided into the three groups (group A: 2448 patients, statin alone; group B: 2431 patients, RASI alone; and group C: 12,535 patients, both statin and RASI). The principal clinical endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) defined as all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, and any repeat revascularization. RESULTS: After adjustment, the cumulative incidences of MACEs in group A (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.337; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.064–1.679; p = 0.013) and in group B (aHR 1.375; 95% CI 1.149–1.646; p = 0.001) were significantly higher than in group C. The cumulative incidence of all-cause death in group A was significantly higher than that in group C (aHR 1.539; 95% CI 1.014–2.336; p = 0.043). The cumulative incidences of any repeat revascularization (aHR 1.317; 95% CI 1.031–1.681; p = 0.028), target lesion vascularization, and target vessel vascularization in group B were significantly higher than in group C. CONCLUSIONS: A statin and RASI combination therapy significantly reduced the cumulative incidence of MACEs compared with a monotherapy of these drugs. Moreover, the combination therapy showed a reduced all-cause death rate compared with statin monotherapy, and a decreased repeat revascularization rate compared with RASI monotherapy.