Objective The long-term effect of statin therapy in diabetic patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not well established. Accordingly, we sought to determine whether statin therapy initiated at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention reduces total and cardiac mortality among diabetic patients.

Methods We collected data from 569 consecutive patients who underwent PCI. We then compared all-cause and cardiac mortality rates in 249 patients with diabetes mellitus of whom 74 (29.7%) were treated with statin at the time of PCI. To adjust the variables that would have been related to the decision regarding statin administration, multivariate Cox regression was carried out.

Results During follow-up (4.4±1.3 years), 23 patients died (including 12 who died of cardiac causes). The Multivariate analysis showed statin therapy to be significantly associated with reduced cardiac mortality (HR 0.39, 0.16–0.95; p=0.039), but not with all-cause mortality.

Conclusion Statin therapy was associated with a significantly reduced risk of cardiac mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease after PCI.