title: Effect of simvastatin and fluvastatin on plasma fibrinogen levels in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: The aim of the study was to compare the effect of treatment with two different statins on plasma fibrinogen levels in patients with primary isolated hypercholesterolemia. Sixty three patients enrolled into the study were randomly divided into two groups, treated with simvastatin (20 mg/d) or fluvastatin (40 mg/d), respectively. Plasma lipid profile and fibrinogen levels were measured after 4 and 12 weeks of the therapy. Both drugs decreased total and LDL cholesterol and apoprotein B levels. Simvastatin additionally reduced triglyceride levels. After 4 weeks of treatment both drugs tended to increase plasma fibrinogen levels, while after 12 weeks fibrinogen level was significantly increased in the simvastatin-treated patients. The effect on fibrinogen did not correlate with their lipid-lowering potential, gender and was similar in patients positive and negative for anti-Helicobacter pylori or anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies. Our results support the findings about a relatively weak effect of statin therapy on plasma fibrinogen level and partially explain contradictory results of previous studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18, PL 40-752 Katowice, Poland. mbkdokop@mp.pl
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Okopień
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krysiak
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Madej
authors.forename: Dariusz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belowski
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zieliński
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kowalski
authors.forename: Zbigniew S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Herman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077340:Fluvastatin; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007211:Indoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D007211:Indoles; D000077340:Fluvastatin; D005340:Fibrinogen; D019821:Simvastatin