Iraqi Postgraduate Medical Journal

Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
3-hydroxy-3methyl glutaryl co enzyme inhibitor (MMG-COA) (statin) is a very common drug used in many medical conditions regardless of the presence or absence of dyslipidemia. One of these conditions is the cardiac disorders.
OBJECTIVE:
Throwing a light on the prevalence of their side effects in Iraqi patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Two hundred seventy patients with ischemic heart disease from the period of November 2006-November 2007 referred to Baghdad teaching hospital (the medical city). Those cases were using statin and grouped into two groups.
Group A: patients admitted with acute coronary syndrome (myocardial infarction and unstable angina) (230 patients 77%).
Group B: patients with associated risk factors (Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking and secondary lipidemia) 40 cases 23%, have history of ischemic heart disease on treatment they use the drug in range of (10-40) daily with review monthly for the side effects. All 270 cases were free from other organic disorders (i.e. renal, thyroid, malignancy, or any longstanding disease). All patients went through a questionnaire which includes: age, gender, risk factors (Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and lipidemia), routine blood tests, lipid profile, liver function tests, C-reactive proteins, thyroid function tests, chest X-ray, electrocardiography and echocardiography done for all patients, all patients used to take drugs in the range of 10-40mg daily for at least one year.
RESULT:
The side effects noticed in this study were gastric, musculoskeletal, elevated liver enzymes (40%, 28.9%, and 1% respectively from the total number of patients). Other side effects in other systems like skin, respiratory, and cardiac were not encountered.
CONCLUSION:
This study showed that the side effects of statin were not involving all the body systems.