Post Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Study
Objectives:
To determine the relative effectiveness of moderate
versus more aggressive lipid lowering, and of low dose anticoagulation versus
placebo, in delaying saphenous vein coronary bypass graft atherosclerosis and
preventing occlusion of saphenous grafts of patients with saphenous vein
coronary bypass grafts placed 1 to 11 years previously.
Background:
Obstructive changes often occur in aortocoronary
saphenous-vein bypass grafts because of atherosclerosis and thrombosis. We
studied whether aggressive lowering of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol levels or low-dose anticoagulation would delay the progression of
atherosclerosis in grafts.
Subjects:
Men and women, aged 18-75 years, between 1 and 11
years post-CABG. Patients had two completely independent saphenous vein grafts
that were patent. Patients had an LDL-cholesterol between 130 and 175 with
plasma triglycerides below 300mg/dl.
Design:
This is a multicenter, randomized placebo-controlled
clinical trial, using the double-blind method.
Conclusions:
Aggressive lowering of LDL cholesterol levels to below
100 mg per deciliter reduced the progression of atherosclerosis grafts.
Low-dose warfarin did not reduce the progression of atherosclerosis. (N Engl J
Med 1997;336:153-62.)
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