Intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy improves large artery elasticity in acute myocardial infarction patients.
This study was aimed at probing the effects of intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy with simvastatin on the large artery elasticity of acute myocardial infarction patients. A total of 72 cases of acute myocardial infarction patients were divided into a normocholesterol group (n = 37) and a hypercholesterol group (n = 35) according to their serum low-density lipoprotein. All patients were given oral simvastatin 40 mg/day for 6 months, and their pulse-wave velocity (PWV) of different artery segments and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were measured before and after the therapy. The low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level in both groups decreased significantly (2.13 +/- 0.32 vs 1.56 +/- 0.28, 3.43 +/- 0.80 vs 2.28 +/- 0.47 mmol/l, P < 0.01). The PWV of each artery segment in both the normocholesterol group and the hypercholesterol group decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Pulse-wave velocity in the hypercholesterol group was lowered much more than that of the normocholesterol group (P < 0.05). There were no differences among each artery segment in each group. Ankle-brachial index increased significantly in both groups (1.12 +/- 0.16 to 1.22 +/- 0.12, P < 0.05 in the normocholesterol group, and 1.03 +/- 0.22 to 1.23 +/- 0.16, P < 0.01 in the hypercholesterol group), but ABI increased much more in the hypercholesterol group than in the normocholesterol group (0.21 + 0.15 vs 0.11 + 0.09 P = 0.02). Intensive cholesterol-lowering therapy with simvastatin for acute myocardial infarction patients can significantly improve their large artery elasticity and regress their atherosclerosis. Hypercholesterol patients benefit more from this therapy.
Cardiovascular Department, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China.
Xinwei
X
Jia
Meng
M
Wei
Xianghua
X
Fu
Xinshun
X
Gu
Weize
W
Fan
Jing
J
Zhang
Ling
L
Xue
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D000842:Ankle / Q000098:blood supply; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D002784:Cholesterol; D019821:Simvastatin