[Noninvasive assessment of the effect of atorvastatin on coronary microvasculature and endothelial function in patients with dyslipidemia].
OBJECTIVE
The effect of statins has been monitored mainly in peripheral arteries. It is now possible to study coronary microcirculation by analyzing coronary reserve with transthoracic echocardiography. The aim of this study was to use this noninvasive technique to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on peripheral endothelial function and on the coronary microvasculature in patients with dyslipidemia.


METHODS
We included 21 patients with dyslipidemia but no clinical antecedents of atherosclerosis. Mean (SD) age was 64.9 (11) years, and women made up 61.9% of the group. All patients were treated with 20 mg atorvastatin during 3 months. Lipid profile, carotid intima-media thickness, endothelium-dependent vasodilation and coronary flow reserve were determined at baseline and at the end of treatment. All studies were performed with echocardiographic techniques.


RESULTS
Together with improvements in the lipid profile, we found a 43% increase in endothelium-dependent vasodilation (4.3 [4.4] to 6.2 [3.8]; P=.07) and a 25% increase in coronary flow reserve (2.5 [0.6] vs 3.1 [0.8]; P=.002). The increase in endothelium-dependent vasodilatation correlated with age (r=-0.60; P=.004), intima-media thickness (r=-0.47; P=.029), low-density lipoprotein level before treatment (r=-0.43; P=.05), and baseline endothelium-dependent vasodilatation (r=-0.63; P=.002). The increase in coronary flow reserve correlated with low-density lipoprotein level after treatment (r=-0.51; P=.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Short-term treatment with atorvastatin improved the lipid profile, coronary microvascular function and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in the peripheral circulation. The noninvasive assessment of coronary reserve is feasible with transthoracic echocardiography.
Instituto de Enfermedades del Corazón, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
Juan P
JP
Tomás
José L
JL
Moya
Raquel
R
Campuzano
Vivencio
V
Barrios
Alicia
A
Megías
Soledad
S
Ruiz
Paz
P
Catalán
Manuel Alonso
MA
Recarte
Alfonso
A
Muriel
D000368:Aged; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004452:Echocardiography; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D000069059:Atorvastatin