title: No effect of atorvastatin and simvastatin on oxidative stress in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Statins are thought to have anti-atherogenic effects beyond cholesterol lowering. One such mechanism may involve reduction of oxidative stress. The aim of our study was to investigate and to compare the oxidative stress lowering capacity of atorvastatin with that of simvastatin in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease using conventional markers and sensitive markers measured by highly specific techniques such as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included 30 statin-naive patients with diabetes mellitus, and/or obesity, and/or hypertension (12 male, 18 female, mean age 44.8±11.1 years), and randomised them to receive either atorvastatin 10 mg or simvastatin 40 mg daily to obtain an equimolar cholesterol reduction. Blood and urine samples were obtained at baseline and at 1, 6 and 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and coenzyme Q10 decreased significantly in both groups. Simvastatin caused a faster initial LDL cholesterol lowering than atorvastatin (p=0.01), but the overall effect after 12 weeks of atorvastatin and simvastatin was similar. Plasma myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde did not change during the study period in the two groups. Urinary F2-isoprostanes decreased gradually and significantly in the atorvastatin group but not in the simvastatin group, but the between-group difference was not significant. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine did not change in the two groups.
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Clinical Chemistry, The Institute for Cardiovascular Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Scheffer
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Schindhelm
authors.forename: V M T
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: van Verschuer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groenemeijer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simsek
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Smulders
authors.forename: P W B
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Nanayakkara
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000328:Adult; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D028441:F2-Isoprostanes; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D014451:Ubiquinone; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D009195:Peroxidase; C024989:coenzyme Q10; D003849:Deoxyguanosine