Short-term effects of atorvastatin on C-reactive protein.
OBJECTIVE
To study the short-term effect of atorvastatin on C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with or at risk for coronary heart disease.


RESULTS
One hundred and fifty-five randomly selected patients from the SWiss Intervention Trial for lowering CHolesterol (SWITCH) were assessed for high sensitivity CRP, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides at baseline, and after 1 and 3 months of treatment with atorvastatin at various doses to reach pre-defined lipid target values. The median decrease of cholesterol was 28% after 1 month and 35% after 3 months. LDL-cholesterol was decreased by 37% and 45%, HDL-cholesterol was increased by 7% and 8%, respectively. Patients with a low CRP baseline concentration (lowest quartile <1.34 mg. l(-1)) displayed no significant change, whereas patients in the other quartiles showed a significant decrease, of 22% to 40% (P -value <0.05 to <0.001) at 1 month and of 32% to 36% after 3 months compared to baseline. The decrease in CRP lowering was thus fully established by 1 month and this response was independent of lipid and lipoprotein changes as well as atorvastatin doses.


CONCLUSIONS
Atorvastatin significantly decreases CRP concentrations after 4 weeks of therapy. These results may be important with respect to the early benefit of statin therapy.
Riesen
W F
WF
Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, Kantonsspital, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Engler
H
H
Risch
M
M
Korte
W
W
Noseda
G
G
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000187:drug effects*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013557:Switzerland; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D014280:Triglycerides; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000069059:Atorvastatin