title: Effects of a statin group drug, pravastatin, on the insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS), development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) was found to decrease by 30% in pravastatin-treated patients. In the study, it is suggested that pleiotropic effects of pravastatin may be responsible too as well as its lipid lowering effect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pravastatin treatment on the insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), by Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) test, insulin sensitivity indices and glucose half activation time (glucose t1/2).
  
  
  METHODS
  Study population consisted of 25 women who were diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. At baseline and 10 weeks after the 20 mg/daily tablet pravastatin treatment, waist/hip circumference, body weight and arterial blood pressure measurements, plasma glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, transaminases, glycosylated haemoglobin (A1C) and insulin level measurements were obtained along with HOMA test and insulin tolerance test after 12 h of fasting. Insulin sensitivity indices and glucose t1/2 were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the treatment, a statistically significant decrease was observed in arterial blood pressure values (P < 0.0001). While plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were found to decrease significantly and HDL-cholesterol levels increased significantly, a decrease in baseline insulin levels, an increase in insulin sensitivity levels were observed along with an decrease in glucose t1/2. Related to the improvement in aforementioned parameters, statistically significant decreases were noted in HOMA, postprandial and fasting glucose levels and A1C values (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that using pravastatin in the dyslipidemia treatment of metabolic syndrome with IGT may be an effective approach by its advantageous effects on insulin resistance. Based on this result, it is possible to say that this can be a risk lowering treatment approach for the development of type 2 DM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Feyzullah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Güçlü
authors.forename: Bilgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.forename: Zeliha
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hekimsoy
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kirmaz
mesh_terms: D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D017035:Pravastatin