title: Atorvastatin treatment does not affect gonadal and adrenal hormones in type 2 diabetes patients with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: Atorvastatin, a second generation synthetic 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, reduces both intracellular cholesterol synthesis and serum cholesterol levels, and this could have a potential negative impact on gonadal and adrenal steroidogenesis. Hypercholesterolemia in type 2 diabetes, even when mild, must be treated in an aggressive way, due to the more strict therapeutic goals than in the non diabetic population. Since the wide use of 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (statins) in type 2 diabetes, the main aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of "therapeutic" doses of atorvastatin on gonadal and adrenal hormones in 24 type 2 diabetic patients (16 males and 8 postmenopausal females), with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia (LDL-cholesterol = 150.1 +/- 32.0 and 189.9 +/- 32.9 mg/dl, respectively) studied before and after a 3 months treatment with atorvastatin (20 mg/day). In all patients, lipids and serum cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S), androstendione and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were measured, with the addition, only in males, of testosterone and free testosterone index. After atorvastatin treatment a significant decrease in total and LDL cholesterol was observed (p < 0.05), while HDL-cholesterol did not significantly change ( p = N.S.), as no significant difference was found between steroid hormones measured before and after atorvastatin either in male and females. In conclusion, our data suggest that, in type 2 diabetic patients, the use of atorvastatin has no clinically important effects on either gonadal or adrenal steroid hormones.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrozza
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lulli
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuppi
authors.forename: Gian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: CarloTonolo
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musumeci
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006066:Gonads / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin