BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Boca Raton Regional Hospital just announced that it is taking part in a major study that could have tremendous ramifications for anyone who has ever eaten fast food, ever. Read on for the official media announcement:
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is participating in an important new clinical trial led by Alexander Kulik, MD, MPH, cardiovascular surgeon at Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Heart and Vascular Institute. As part of the study, researchers will determine the safety and benefits of aggressive cholesterol therapy after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG).
During CABG, a vein from the leg is used to bypass the cholesterol blockages (also known as atherosclerosis) in the arteries of the heart. Unfortunately, vein bypasses themselves develop blockages over time, a process termed saphenous vein graft disease. By lowering cholesterol levels in the blood, statin medications are used after surgery to prevent the development of atherosclerotic blockages in the vein bypasses.
Recently, higher doses of statin medications have been introduced, with some studies showing that they are more effective than traditional doses when used in heart attack patients. Laboratory tests have also shown that higher doses of statin medications can slow the development of atherosclerosis. Despite these benefits, very little is known regarding the use of high-dose statin therapy after bypass surgery in humans.
“The goals of this study will be to confirm the safety of high-dose statin therapy early after bypass surgery and to see whether it can prevent blockages from developing in the vein bypasses during the first year after heart surgery,” said Dr. Kulik. “This will be a three-year study which began recently with the recruitment of the first of 200 patients.”
Patients will be randomized to receive either high-dose statin therapy or conventional moderate-dose statin therapy starting within two days of surgery and continuing for the duration of one year after the operation. The statin medication will be given in capsule form. During the course of this study, neither the patient nor the healthcare team will know which treatment each patient is receiving. One year after bypass surgery, a computed tomography (CT) coronary angiogram will be performed to evaluate the patency of the vein bypasses.
About Boca Raton Regional Hospital – Medicine. Redefined.
Born out of community need in 1967, Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced, tertiary medical center (www.brrh.com) with 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff. The Hospital is a recognized leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women’s health and emergency medicine, all of which offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Boca Raton Regional Hospital is the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical ExcellenceTM by HealthGrades for the eighth year in a row. Only 40 of the nation’s 5,000 hospitals have earned such a consecutive distinction. The Hospital is also the recipient of the 2012 Best 100 Hospitals in the Nation for: Cardiac Care, Stroke Care, Gastrointestinal Care, General Surgery and Prostatectomy and is ranked #1 in state rankings for Gastrointestinal Medical Treatment and Overall Gastrointestinal Treatment by HealthGrades for 2012.
