Optimal statin type and dosage for vascular patients.

Statins are an essential component of the management of patients suffering from vascular diseases. As there is neither any consensus nor any guidelines regarding this issue, we aimed to define the optimal statin type and dosage for these patients. MEDLINE was searched for studies comparing different statin types and dosages for vascular patients. In the absence of adverse effects, rosuvastatin or atorvastatin ≥ 20 mg/d is the optimal statin type and dosage for vascular patients. The management of statin-induced adverse events and the options for statin-intolerant patients are also discussed. Routine statin treatment is associated with several beneficial effects in vascular patients whether managed conservatively or undergoing open vascular surgery/endovascular interventions. If possible, statins should not be discontinued before open or endovascular procedures and treatment should be resumed as soon as possible. Future studies should evaluate the effects of an increased statin loading dose prior to vascular procedures.