Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Differential Effects of Lipid-lowering Drugs in Modulating Morphology of Cholesterol Particles
Published on: November 10, 2017
Plasma lipids and blood fluidity in patients with polygenic hypercholesterolaemia treated with fluvastatin
F Piñon1, J F Merino, J C Ferrer
1Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, "LA FE" University Hospital, Valencia, Spain. pinyon_fra@gva.es
Insights
Statins
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Pharmacology
- Haemorheology
Background:
- HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) offer clinical benefits potentially beyond lipid reduction.
- Ancillary effects of statins require further investigation to understand their full clinical impact.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of fluvastatin on haemorheological parameters in polygenic hypercholesterolaemia (PHC) patients.
- To assess whether statin treatment influences blood filterability, erythrocyte aggregation, and viscosity.
Main Methods:
- Studied 27 PHC patients and 38 healthy controls.
- Measured haematimetry, serum lipids, biochemistry, lipoproteins, fibrinogen, blood filterability, erythrocyte aggregation, and blood/plasma viscosity before and after 6 months of fluvastatin treatment.
Main Results:
- PHC patients exhibited impaired blood filterability, elevated fibrinogen, increased erythrocyte aggregation, and higher plasma viscosity compared to controls.
- Six months of fluvastatin treatment did not significantly alter these measured haemorheological parameters in PHC patients, despite notable lipid changes.
Conclusions:
- The haemorheological alterations observed in PHC patients were not significantly improved by fluvastatin treatment within 6 months.
- The study suggests that the clinical benefits of statins may not be directly linked to improvements in these specific haemorheological parameters.
Abstract:
The clinical benefit brought about by HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) may not entirely be due to their lipid-lowering effect. Further investigation is necessary in order to determine the significance of ancillary effects to the clinical benefit of statin treatment. We studied 27 polygenic hypercholesterolaemia (PHC) patients before and 3 and 6 months after fluvastatin treatment. A control group of 38 normal, sex and age matched, subjects were also studied. The following parameters were measured: haematimetry, serum lipids and general biochemistry, apo-A/B and lipoproteins, fibrinogen, blood filterability, red blood cell aggregation, blood and plasma viscosity. PHC patients showed lower blood filterability (16.00+/-0.99 vs 19.90+/-2.90 microl/s), higher plasma fibrinogen (274.8+/-41.5 vs 241.6+/-43.2 mg/dl), increased erythrocyte aggregation at low shear stress (8.10+/-1.15 vs 7.19+/-1.29) and increased plasma viscosity (1.26+/-0.06 vs 1.23+/-0.05 mPa.s). Notable lipid changes after 6 months fluvastatin treatment were not accompanied by measurable changes in the haemorheological alterations of the PHC patients.
Related Concept Videos
Membrane Fluidity
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System III: Serum Lipid Profile
Serum lipids are fats and fatty substances in the blood and are crucial for various bodily functions, including energy storage, cellular structure, and hormone production. Serum lipids consist of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids.
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells. It is crucial for producing hormones, vitamin D, and substances that aid...

