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Effect of atorvastatin on dynamic parameters of myocardial repolarization in healthy subjects
Ondrej Toman1, Tomas Novotny, Martina Sisakova
1Department of Cardiology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic. ondrej.toman@atlas.cz
Insights
Single doses of atorvastatin did not alter myocardial repolarization in healthy individuals. This study confirms the drug
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Statins exhibit potential antiarrhythmic properties attributed to their pleiotropic effects.
- Previous research suggests statins may influence cardiac electrophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of atorvastatin on myocardial repolarization in healthy subjects.
- To assess ECG parameters related to repolarization and T-wave morphology.
Main Methods:
- A single-dose, double-blind, 3-way crossover study involving 40 healthy volunteers.
- Administration of atorvastatin (20 mg and 80 mg) and placebo.
- Long-term (13-hour) 12-lead ECG recordings analyzed for repolarization and T-wave morphology.
Main Results:
- No significant drug-related changes were observed in any investigated ECG repolarization descriptors.
- Some trends in repolarization parameters were noted but did not reach statistical significance.
- Analysis included dynamic repolarization parameters and T-wave morphology descriptors.
Conclusions:
- Single doses of atorvastatin did not affect repolarization heterogeneity compared to placebo.
- The findings support a safe profile for atorvastatin with limited proarrhythmic potential in healthy individuals.
Background:
Antiarrhythmic properties of statins were suggested as a part of their pleiotropic effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin on myocardial repolarization as manifested on surface electrocardiograms (ECGs) in healthy subjects.
Methods And Results:
Forty young healthy volunteers (20 men, 20 women) underwent a single-dose double-blind 3-way crossover study of 20 and 80 mg of atorvastatin and placebo. Long-term 13-hour 12-lead ECGs were obtained in each subject and each study period starting 15 minutes before drug administration. Each study period contained 18 time-points of 5-minute durations when the subjects were in resting supine positions. Digital ECG recordings were analyzed automatically, and the results were completed blindly before statistical analyses. Dynamic parameters of myocardial repolarization and T-wave morphology descriptors were evaluated. Although some trends were observed, no significant drug-related changes in any of investigated ECG repolarization descriptors were found.
Conclusion:
In comparison with placebo, single doses of atorvastatin had no effect on repolarization heterogeneity in healthy subjects. The observation confirms safe profile of the drug with limited proarrhythmic potential.
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