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Updated: May 11, 2026
Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
Very rapid effect of pitavastatin on microvascular function in comparison to rosuvastatin: reactive hyperemia
Yasushi Kono1, Shota Fukuda, Kenei Shimada
1Department of Medicine, Osaka Ekisaikai Hospital, Nishi-ku, Osaka, Japan.
Background:
It has been reported that pitavastatin improves endothelial function faster than other statins. Recently introduced reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) provides objective and quantitative assessment of peripheral microvascular function.
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate whether peripheral microvascular function improved 2 hours after pitavastatin in subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD) using RH-PAT, and the results were compared with those of rosuvastatin.
Methods:
This study included 94 subjects with CAD, assigned to a group given 2 mg of pitavastatin (n = 36), a group given 2.5 mg of rosuvastatin (n = 38), and a control group (n = 20). RH-PAT examinations were performed before and 2 hours after statin administration.
Results:
The RH-PAT index increased 2 hours after pitavastatin administration from 1.82 ± 0.45 to 2.16 ± 0.62 (P = 0.02), whereas there were no differences in the RH-PAT index in the rosuvastatin group (1.79 ± 0.71 to 1.91 ± 0.53, P = 0.09) and the control group (1.68 ± 0.36 to 1.84 ± 0.58, P = 0.4). No significant changes were observed at 2 hours in serum cholesterol levels in each group.
Conclusion:
The present study demonstrated that peripheral microvascular function improved 2 hours after a single clinical dose of pitavastatin, but not after rosuvastatin.
