Oral simvastatin treatment in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
Many drugs have been approved for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis but are only partly effective, are injected, and are expensive. We aimed to investigate use of of oral simvastatin (80 mg) in 30 individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The mean number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions at months 4, 5, and 6 of treatment was compared with the mean number of lesions noted on pretreatment brain MRI scans. Number and volume of Gd-enhancing lesions declined by 44%, (p<0.0001) and 41% (p=0.0018), respectively. Treatment was well tolerated. Oral simvastatin might inhibit inflammatory components of multiple sclerosis that lead to neurological disability.
Vollmer
Timothy
T
Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Key
Lyndon
L
Durkalski
Valerie
V
Tyor
William
W
Corboy
John
J
Markovic-Plese
Silva
S
Preiningerova
Jana
J
Rizzo
Marco
M
Singh
Inderjit
I
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D003287:Contrast Media; D019821:Simvastatin; D005682:Gadolinium