Pharmacological modification of the perioperative stress response in noncardiac surgery

The perioperative period is associated with alterations in the neuroendocrine, metabolic, and immune systems, referred to as “stress response.” The resultant increased sympathetic activity and elevated serum concentrations of catecholamines may adversely affect the cardiovascular system, resulting in cardiovascular instability (hypertension, tachycardia, and arrhythmia), morbidity (myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction, and stroke), and mortality (cardiac death and fatal stroke), particularly in patients at an elevated cardiovascular risk and with reduced cardiovascular reserve. Various strategies have been used to ameliorate the adverse perioperative cardiovascular sequelae of the perioperative stress response. Effective pharmacologic blunting of the stress response plays a crucial role in perioperative cardiac risk reduction strategies. In this context, the role of beta-adrenoceptor blockers, alpha2-adrenoceptor agonists, and statins has been extensively examined. This chapter evaluates the available evidence with respect to treatment efficacy of these commonly prescribed drugs in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.