Secondary Pharmacological Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease among Patients Submitted to Clinical Management, Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, or Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery

Abstract Background Secondary prevention is recommended for patients with evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) regardless of the indication for treatment by coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Objectives This study evaluated whether clinical treatment, PCI or CABG had an influence on adherence to the pharmacological secondary prevention in patients with stable CAD. Methods This cohort included patients aged ≥40 years with stable CAD confirmed by coronary angiography. The decision for medical treatment alone, or additionally with PCI or CABG, was made by the attending physicians. Adherence to the prescribed drugs recommended by the guidelines for secondary prevention (optimal pharmacological treatment), including antiplatelet agents, lipid-lowering drugs, beta-blockers, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers, was assessed at follow-up. Differences were considered significant for p values