Relation between paradoxical decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels after statin therapy and adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Statin therapy moderately increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Contrary to this expectation, a paradoxical decrease in HDL-C levels after statin therapy is seen in some patients. We evaluated 724 patients who newly started treatment with statins after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). These patients were divided into 2 groups according to change in HDL-C levels between baseline and 6 to 9 months after initial AMI (ΔHDL). In total, 620 patients had increased HDL-C levels and 104 patients had decreased HDL-C levels. Both groups achieved follow-up low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels <100 mg/dl. Adverse cardiovascular events (a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) have more frequently occurred in the decreased HDL group compared with the increased HDL group (15.4% vs 7.1%, p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that decreased HDL, onset to balloon time, and multivessel disease were the independent predictors of adverse cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR] 1.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08 to 3.52; HR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.09; and HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.22 to 3.56, respectively). In conclusion, a paradoxical decrease in serum HDL-C levels after statin therapy might be an independent predictor of long-term adverse cardiovascular events in patients with AMI.