title: Statins and direct vascular actions.
abstract: Statins can exert many pleiotropic effects beyond their cholesterol-lowering action. These effects mainly influence the vascular wall and may modulate beneficially endothelial function, atherogenesis and atherosclerotic plaque stability. Recent data suggest a possible positive effect of statins on prevention of osteoporosis and cancerogenesis. However, the magnitude of contribution of these pleiotropic statin effects to the reduction of morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases remains to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Section of Endocrinology and Menopause, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. endo.meno@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: A O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Mueck
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seeger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000187:drug effects*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors