title: Statins affect ocular microcirculation in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of statins on ocular microcirculation in patients with hypercholesterolaemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with hypercholesterolaemia were included in this study. The diameter of retinal vessels was measured continuously with the retinal vessel analyser (RVA) before and 4 weeks after statin therapy. After baseline assessment, a monochromatic luminance flicker was applied to evoke retinal vasodilation. Flicker response was then analysed after 50, 150 and 250 seconds after baseline measurement. Additionally, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglyceride levels were obtained to find a possible correlation between retinal vessel diameter changes and lipid metabolism before and after statin therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean diameter of the arterioles before statin therapy at baseline was 106.3 ± 1.5 μm and the mean diameter of the venules at baseline was 127.3 ± 2.5 μm. The mean diameter of the arterioles 4 weeks before statin therapy was 107.3 ± 1.8 μm after 50 seconds, 107.9 ± 1.8 μm after 150 seconds and 108.0 ± 1.8 μm after 250 seconds (p = 0.01). The mean diameter of the venules 4 weeks before statin therapy was 128.0 ± 2.6 μm after 50 seconds, 128.2 ± 2.5 μm after 150 seconds and 128.2 ± 2.3 μm after 250 seconds (p = 0.01). The mean diameter of the arterioles 4 weeks after statin therapy at baseline was 107.1 ± 1.6 μm and the mean diameter of the venules at baseline was 127.7 ± 2.3 μm which was significantly different from measurements before statin therapy (p = 0.004). The diameter of the arterioles 4 weeks after statin therapy increased to 109.2 ± 2.1 μm after 50 seconds, to 110.6 ± 2.6 μm after 150 seconds and to 111.8 ± 2.3 μm after 250 seconds with statistical significance at all time points (p = 0.001). The mean diameter of the venules after statin therapy increased to 130.6 ± 2.7 μm after 50 seconds, to 132.1 ± 2.6 μm after 150 seconds and to 133.5 ± 3.0 μm after 250 seconds with statistical significance at all time points (p = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study demonstrated a significant increase in vasodilatation of retinal arterioles and venules 4 weeks after statin therapy in patients with hypercholesterolaemia indicating pleiotropic effects of statins on the retinal microcirculation which seem to be mediated by the endothelium-dependent, NO-mediated pathway.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Dresden, Dresden, Germany. naim.terai@uniklinikum-dresden.de
authors: Naim
authors: N
authors: Terai
authors: Eberhard
authors: E
authors: Spoerl
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Fischer
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Hornykewycz
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Haustein
authors: Janek
authors: J
authors: Haentzschel
authors: Lutz E
authors: LE
authors: Pillunat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001160:Arterioles / Q000502:physiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010781:Photography; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000502:physiology*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology; D014699:Venules / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol