Atorvastatin pretreatment has been reported to reduce myocardial damage in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We sought to investigate the effect of atorvastatin pretreatment on infarct size in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Patients undergoing primary PCI for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction within 12 hours after symptom onset were randomized to an atorvastatin group (80 mg before PCI and for 5 days after PCI [n = 89]) or a control group (10 mg daily after PCI [n = 84]). The primary end point was infarct size measured by technetium Tc 99m tetrofosmin single-photon emission computed tomography between days 5 and 14.

Baseline clinical, angiographic, and procedural characteristics were not significantly different between groups except for age and current smoking status. There was no significant difference in infarct size (as a percentage of the left ventricle) between groups (22.2% ± 15.5% in the atorvastatin group vs 21.6% ± 15.4% in the control group, P = .79). The median infarct size was 19.0% (interquartile range 9.0-32.0) in the atorvastatin group and 18.0% (9.3-32.5) in the control group (P = .76). Achievement of myocardial blush grade 2/3 and complete ST-segment resolution at 60 minutes after PCI occurred with similar frequency (72.8% vs 81.9%, P = .33 and 43.2% vs 47.5%, P = .57, respectively).

Pretreatment with high-dose atorvastatin followed by further treatment for 5 days did not reduce infarct size measured by single-photon emission computed tomography in patients undergoing primary PCI.