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Assessment of arterial stiffness affected by atorvastatin in coronary artery disease using pulse wave velocity

Xiao Meng1, Liangyi Qie, Yuanyuan Wang

  • 1Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Remodeling and Function Research, Chinese Ministry of Education, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.

Clinical and Investigative Medicine. Medecine Clinique Et Experimentale
|December 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Atorvastatin significantly improved arterial stiffness in coronary artery disease patients, as measured by pulse wave velocity. This benefit was observed independently of the drug's cholesterol-lowering effects.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Arterial stiffness is a known indicator of cardiovascular risk and is often altered in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • Statins, including atorvastatin, are commonly used to manage hyperlipidemia and have been suggested to influence arterial stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of atorvastatin on arterial stiffness in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD).
  • To assess changes in pulse wave velocity (PWV) as a measure of arterial stiffness following atorvastatin treatment.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 63 patients with hyperlipidemia and CAD.
  • Participants were divided into two groups: 43 received 10mg of atorvastatin daily, while 20 followed a low-fat diet.
  • Measurements included carotid-femoral PWV (PWV-CF), carotid-radial PWV (PWV-CR), and carotid-distal PWV (PWV-CD).

Main Results:

  • The atorvastatin group showed significant decreases in PWV-CF, PWV-CR, and PWV-CD post-treatment (P < 0.05).
  • No significant changes in PWV measurements were observed in the control (low-fat diet) group (P > 0.05).
  • Both groups experienced reductions in total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Atorvastatin treatment effectively improves arterial stiffness in CAD patients.
  • The improvement in arterial stiffness appears to be independent of atorvastatin's lipid-lowering effects.
Abstract

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