Fatal rhabdomyolysis in a patient with liver cirrhosis after switching from simvastatin to fluvastatin

Pharmacogenomics of lipid-lowering agents: the impact on efficacy and safety

Hyperlipidemia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. The lipid-lowering drugs are considered the cornerstone of primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, the lack of efficacy and associated adverse effects, ranging from mild-to-moderate to potentially life-threatening, lead to therapy discontinuation. Numerous reports support the role of gene polymorphisms in drugs' pharmacokinetic parameters and their associated adverse reactions. Therefore, this study aims to understand the pharmacogenomics of lipid-lowering drugs and the impact of genetic variants of key genes on the drugs' efficacy and toxicity. Indeed, genetically guided lipid-lowering therapy enhances overall safety, improves drug adherence and achieves long-term therapy.

The efficacy of hemodialysis in interventional therapy in coronary artery disease patients with chronic renal insufficiency

The aim of this study was to explore the efficacy and safety of hemodialysis in interventional therapy for patients with coronary artery disease combined with chronic renal insufficiency. With the aging and social development, the number of coronary artery disease patients with chronic renal insufficiency gradually increased. Total 58 coronary heart disease patients with chronic renal dysfunction were selected. These patients were characterized with typical angina symptoms and typical electrocardiogram (ECG) changes of onset angina. Continuous oral administration of sodium bicarbonate tablets 1 g 3/day × 3 days and slow intravenous input sodium chloride 1000 ∼1500 mL 3-12 h before operation were given. By this way, all patients were treated by hydration and alkalization. After percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment, patients were immediately transferred to undergo 4 h of dialysis treatment without removing indwelling of femoral artery puncture sheath tube to protect renal function. Changes in renal function including serum creatinine, glomerular filtration rate, and urine were observed and recorded. All patients were successfully underwent PCI treatment. Within one month after PCI, there were no obvious complication and no stent thrombosis occurred. Among of 58 patients, 56 cases showed no significant increase in serum creatinine levels compared with those before operation. However, serum creatinine level of one patient increased to 251 umol/L and one patient still required permanent dialysis. Using hemodialysis in interventional therapy in coronary artery disease patients with chronic renal insufficiency could significantly improve the prognosis of the patients.

Rhabdomyolysis after midazolam administration in a cirrhotic patient treated with atorvastatin

The administration of statins in patients with liver disease is not an absolute contraindication. Hepatotoxicity is a rare and often dose-related event and in the literature there are only a few described cases of fatal rhabdomyolysis in patients with chronic liver disease after statin administration. During treatment with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, the factors responsible for myopathy may either be related to the patient, or due to interactions with other medications that are metabolic substrates of the same isozymes and therefore able to increase blood statin concentration. The most important side effects consist of increased transaminase levels, abdominal pain or muscle weakness, increased serum levels of creatine kinase and rhabdomyolysis. In this article we report a case of fatal rhabdomyolysis with acute renal failure after gastric endoscopy, where midazolam was used as a sedation agent in a patient with chronic liver disease treated with a high dose of atorvastatin. Therefore, we suggest paying particular attention to the potential risks of associating atorvastatin and midazolam in patients with chronic liver disease who need to undergo gastric endoscopy.