A case-control study: Evaluating the role of leukotriene receptor antagonists in preventing the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease

Abstract

Introduction: Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) are used as a therapeutic alternative in asthmatic patients. Different animal studies indicate that LTRAs can decrease intimal hyperplasia after vascular injury, and have a protective role in cerebral ischemia.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the role of leukotriene receptor antagonists in preventing the cardiovascular and ischemic stroke in humans.

Material and method: A matched case-control study with a follow up period of three years has been conducted, investigating the effect of the LTRAs in the myocardial infarct (MI) risk, and in the ischemic stroke (IS) risk in asthmatic patients from San Cecilio University Hospital of Granada, and from two Primary Health Care Centers of Granada.

Results: 59 cases with MI and 108 cases with IS were included in the study, each of them with an equal number of controls matched by age and sex in each of the two Health Care Centers. Unlike for MI risk, the treatment with LTRAs was associated with a slight trend in reducing the risk of stroke, in both of the primary care controls (Odds ratios: 0.74 (0.37-1.47); 0.82 (0.4-1.67), for the first, and the second Health Centers Controls, respectively), but without reaching a statistical significance.

Conclusions: The results did not confirm a protective effect of LTRAs on cardiovascular risk as suggested by different animal studies.

Keywords: Accidente cerebrovascular isquémico; Acido araquidónico; Antagonistas del receptor de leucotrienos; Arachidonic acid; Infarto de miocardio; Ischemic stroke; Leucotrienos; Leukotriene receptor antagonists; Leukotrienes; Montelukast; Myocardial infarction.