Adhering to secondary prevention medicines long term after a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) reduces mortality, investigators say.

Swedish researchers used population data to follow nearly 28,500 people (mean age 67) who underwent CABG between 2006 and 2015 and examine how income, education and adherence to secondary prevention affected mortality.

All patients included had survived for at least six months post-procedure and their take-up of prescriptions was tracked every three months thereafter for up to eight years.

Over a mean follow-up of 4.9 years, staying on statins was associated with a 43% reduction in mortality, maintaining platelet inhibitors with a 26% reduction and taking RAAS inhibitors with a 22% reduction compared with not taking the drugs.