title: The cardioprotective effects of statins.
abstract: Many large randomized clinical trials have demonstrated that statins are effective in terms of prevention of cardiovascular events. It has been presumed that these beneficial effects could be due to not only improved plasma lipid profiles but also to the direct actions on the vascular wall. In addition to the direct vascular protective effects, several lines of experimental evidence have been accumulated that statins have also cardioprotective effects against ischaemia/reperfusion injury. This effect appears to be a class-effect and activation and up-regulation of eNOS by statins play an important role.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology, Cardiovascular Centre, University Hospital and Cardiovascular Research, Institute of Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lüscher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase