title: Effects of pitavastatin on cerebral blood flow.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypercholesterolemia has been identified as an important risk factor for stroke. It has been reported that statins might reduce the risk for new or recurrent cardiovascular events and strokes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports on the effects of pitavastatin on cerebral blood flow in 2 elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patients, a 72-year-old right-handed Japanese man and a 77-year-old right-handed Japanese woman, both with a history of cerebral infarction, received 6-month treatment with pitavastatin 2 mg/d for complicated hypercholesterolemia. To assess regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies with technetium-99m-ethyl cysteinate dimer were carried out before and after pitavastatin administration. Tomography was evaluated using the Easy z Score Imaging System. None of the patients' other treatments, with the exception of pitavastatin initiation, were modified during the treatment period. In both patients, serum total cholesterol concentrations were improved within 3 months of initiation of pitavastatin treatment, with no marked changes in clinical symptoms. In both patients, improvement was found in rCBF on SPECT. The z score of the left parietal lobe in 1 patient was improved, from 2.20 to 1.69. That of the other patient was also improved, from 2.42 to 1.94.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In both patients, clinically significant improvement in rCBF was found after 6-month treatment with pitavastatin 2 mg/d.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Nagoya City Rehabilitation and Sports Center, Mizuho, Nagoya, Japan. holly@nagoya-rehab.or.jp
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horimoto
authors.forename: Michitaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizutani
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hibino
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukagawa
authors.forename: Hidehiro
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kabasawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003545:Cysteine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011804:Quinolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011804:Quinolines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D002784:Cholesterol; C059659:technetium Tc 99m bicisate; D003545:Cysteine; C108475:pitavastatin