1.
Reduction in arterial wall strain with aggressive lipid-lowering therapy in patients with carotid artery disease.
Li, ZY, Tang, TY, Jiang, F, Zhang, Y, Gillard, JH
Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society. 2011;(6):1486-92
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammation and biomechanical factors have been associated with the development of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. Lipid-lowering therapy has been shown to be effective in stabilizing them by reducing plaque inflammation. Its effect on arterial wall strain, however, remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of high- and low-dose lipid-lowering therapy using an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, atorvastatin, on arterial wall strain. METHODS AND RESULTS Forty patients with carotid stenosis >40% were successfully followed up during the Atorvastatin Therapy: Effects on Reduction Of Macrophage Activity (ATHEROMA; ISRCTN64894118) Trial. All patients had plaque inflammation as shown by intraplaque accumulation of ultrasmall super paramagnetic particles of iron oxide on magnetic resonance imaging at baseline. Structural analysis was performed and change of strain was compared between high- and low-dose statin at 0 and 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in strain between the 2 groups at baseline (P = 0.6). At 12 weeks, the maximum strain was significantly lower in the 80-mg group than in the 10-mg group (0.0850.033 vs. 0.1690.084; P = 0.001). A significant reduction (26%) of maximum strain was observed in the 80-mg group at 12 weeks (0.0180.02; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Aggressive lipid-lowering therapy is associated with a significant reduction in arterial wall strain. The reduction in biomechanical strain may be associated with reductions in plaque inflammatory burden.
2.
Effect of atorvastatin versus rosuvastatin on levels of serum lipids, inflammatory markers and adiponectin in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
Qu, HY, Xiao, YW, Jiang, GH, Wang, ZY, Zhang, Y, Zhang, M
Pharmaceutical research. 2009;(4):958-64
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the short-term effect of treatment with atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on levels of serum lipids, inflammatory markers and adiponectin in patients with hypercholesterolemia. METHODS Sixty-nine patients with hypercholesterolemia were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg/day of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin for 12 weeks. Inflammatory biomarkers, including highsensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and endothelin (ET-1), plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and plasma tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), adiponectin, and lipid profiles were measured before and after statin therapy. RESULTS Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin both lowered levels of hs-CRP, MMP-9, PAI-1, total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from baseline values, with rosuvastatin lowering TC and LDL-C to a greater extent than atorvastatin (P < 0.05). Adiponectin level increase was 15% higher than that at baseline with atorvastatin (P > 0.05) but 67% higher with rosuvastatin (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Therapy with both statins not only significantly improved lipid profiles but also decreased levels of vascular biomarkers hs-CRP, MMP-9, and PAI-1; however, only rosuvastatin increased serum adiponectin levels significantly in patients with hypercholesterolemia, which could imply a beneficial effect in coronary artery disease.