Early in-hospital initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors after acute coronary syndrome achieves rapid LDL-C lowering, with over 90% of patients attaining targets of ≤1.4 mmol/L by discharge.
Does early in-hospital initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors improve lipid target attainment and secondary prevention outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome?
Early in-hospital initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors in ACS patients is a potent and safe strategy to rapidly achieve stringent LDL-C targets, stabilize vulnerable plaques, and reduce short-term cardiovascular events.
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a key modifiable risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular (CV) disease in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). While high-intensity statins are foundational, many patients fail to reach guideline-recommended targets, leaving a high residual risk during the early post-ACS phase. Evidence from EVOPACS and EVACS trials demonstrates that early in-hospital proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor (PCSK9i) initiation achieves rapid, intensive LDL-C lowering, with over 90% of patients attaining targets of ≤1.4 mmol/L by discharge. Furthermore, the PACMAN-AMI and HUYGENS trials confirm that PCSK9i therapy promotes plaque regression and stabilisation by increasing fibrous cap thickness and reducing lipid-rich necrotic core content. Meta-analyses indicate significant reductions in major adverse CV events and ACS-related hospitalisations within 6–18 months. Early PCSK9i integration offers a potent, safe strategy to bridge lipid management gaps and optimize secondary prevention outcomes in high-risk populations, including those in India.
Goel et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Acute coronary syndrome. Early in-hospital PCSK9 inhibitor (PCSK9i) initiation was evaluated on LDL-C target attainment of ≤1.4 mmol/L by discharge. Early in-hospital initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors after acute coronary syndrome achieves rapid LDL-C lowering, with over 90% of patients attaining targets of ≤1.4 mmol/L by discharge.