title: Effects of atorvastatin on aortic pulse wave velocity in patients with hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia: a preliminary study.
abstract: As statins may contribute to plaque stabilisation, it is important to evaluate whether these drugs may modify arterial stiffness. In 23 patients, aged 32-70 years, with hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia, a double-blind randomised study vs placebo was performed to evaluate whether atorvastatin was able to modify aortic stiffness, measured from aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), after a 12-week treatment. The results revealed that atorvastatin did not change blood pressure, significantly lowered (P<0.003; <0.002) plasma total and LDL cholesterol, and increased aortic PWV by +8% (vs -2% under placebo) (P<or=0.05). The percentage changes in plasma total and LDL cholesterol and in PWV were significantly and negatively correlated, independent of blood pressure level. The finding of increased aortic PWV after 12-week statin treatment agrees with studies in monkeys, indicating that, at the early phase of hypolipidaemic diet but not later, aortic PWV increases transiently as a consequence of the significant reduction of lipid vascular content. In conclusion, the present results support the possibility that statins might contribute to a change in arterial stiffness independent of blood pressure level, and suggest that long-term studies in humans are needed to evaluate the contribution of arterial elasticity to statin-induced vascular remodelling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Broussaia Hospital, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raison
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rudnichi
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Safar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011674:Pulse; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin