title: Rosuvastatin Reduces Blood Viscosity in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Wall shear stress contributes to atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture. There are limited studies for statin as a major contributing factor on whole blood viscosity (WBV) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates the effect of statin on WBV in ACS patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively enrolled 189 consecutive patients (mean age, 61.3±10.9 years; 132 males; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, n=52; non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, n=84; unstable angina n=53). Patients were divided into two groups (group I: previous use of statins for at least 3 months, n=51; group II: statin-naïve patients, n=138). Blood viscosities at shear rates of 1 s-1 (diastolic blood viscosity; DBV) and 300 s-1 (systolic blood viscosity; SBV) were measured at baseline and one month after statin treatment. Rosuvastatin was administered to patients after enrollment (mean daily dose, 16.2±4.9 mg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline WBV was significantly higher in group II ([SBV: group I vs group II, 40.8±5.9 mP vs. 44.2±7.4 mP, p=0.003], [DBV: 262.2±67.8 mP vs. 296.9±76.0 mP, p=0.002]). WBV in group II was significantly lower one month after statin treatment ([SBV: 42.0±4.7 mP, p=0.012, DBV: 281.4±52.6 mP, p=0.044]). However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was not associated with WBV in both baseline (SBV: R2=0.074, p=0.326; DBV: R2=0.073, p=0.337) and after one month follow up (SBV: R2=0.104, p=0.265; DBV: R2=0.112, p=0.232).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous statin medication is an important determinant in lowering WBV in patients with ACS. However, one month of rosuvastatin decreased WBV in statin-naïve ACS patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Lae-Young
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Rok
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Mechanical Design Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Mu
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Yi-Shik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Suk
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jei-Keon
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.affiliation: Division of Mechanical Design Engineering, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Hwan
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Dal-Sik
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Ho
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Chonbuk National University Hospital and Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Ki
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Ko
keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Blood viscosity; Rheology; Rosuvastatin