Pravastatin promotes coronary collateral circulation in patients with coronary artery disease.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies suggested that hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin) promotes collateral circulation in ischemic limbs of rabbits. The present study was designed to determine the association between treatment with pravastatin and the development of coronary collateral circulation as assessed by the Rentrop Score in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a case-control study.


METHODS
The study included patients who had one (1-V), two (2-V) or three (3-V) significantly stenosed vessels. Patients who did and did not receive pravastatin were defined as case participants (n = 42) and control participants (n = 100), respectively.


RESULTS
The case participants included a higher percentage of 3-V patients with a Rentrop Score 1 compared to the control participants but there was no difference among 1-V and 2-V patients, suggesting that pravastatin was associated with coronary collateral circulation independent of the number of stenosed vessels. Patients with 3-V disease who were treated with pravastatin were most likely [odds ratio (confidence interval), 17.4 (4.4-115)] to develop collateral circulation, as assessed by multiple logistic regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment with pravastatin was associated with the development of collateral circulation in patients with CAD, suggesting that such action constitutes part of the pleiotropic effects of statin.
Nishikawa
Hiroaki
H
Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Japan.
Miura
Shin-ichiro
S
Zhang
Bo
B
Shimomura
Hideki
H
Arai
Hidekazu
H
Tsuchiya
Yoshihiro
Y
Saku
Keijiro
K
D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003097:Collateral Circulation; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D017035:Pravastatin