title: Increased circulatory RAS activity can be inhibited by statins in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this paper is to investigate a profile on circulatory renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity in hypercholesterolemic (HC) patients treated with statins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen primary HC patients and 18 sex- and age-matched healthy adults were included in this study as controls. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), LDL-C, blood glucose, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, and angiotensin II (Ang II) levels were measured before and four and eight weeks after beginning statin treatment in the HC group. Similar measurements were taken in the control group at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, TC, TG and LDL-C levels, as well as ACE activity and Ang II concentrations, were significantly higher in the HC group than in the control group. Based on the baseline data collection of 36 participants, there were significant positive correlations between ACE activity and TC (r = 0.54) or LDL-C (r = 0.51), and between Ang II level and TC (r = 0.34) or LDL-C (r = 0.27). TC, LDL-C, Ang II (35.46 ± 14.49 vs 71.10 ± 20.47 pg/ml, p < 0.05) levels and ACE activity (108.9 ± 51.9 vs 180.1 ± 71.3 U/L, p < 0.05) were decreased in HC patients eight weeks after starting statin treatment. In HC patients, RAS activity correlated positively with TC and LDL-C levels before and after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In HC patients, lowering serum cholesterol with statins is associated with decreased circulatory RAS activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Huang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China suyihappy@sohu.com.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Juxiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Yifei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, China Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Jiujiang University, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoshu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D000804:Angiotensin II; D002784:Cholesterol; C488034:ACE protein, human; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
keywords: Hypercholesterolemia; angiotensin II; angiotensin-converting enzyme; blood; statins