Influence of peripheral artery disease and statin therapy on apolipoprotein profiles

Effects of simvastatin and atorvastatin on biochemical and hematological markers in patients with risk of cardiovascular diseases

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the effects of simvastatin (SVS) and atorvastatin (AVS) on the biochemical and hematological markers in patients with risk of cardiovascular diseases.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty outpatients were enrolled from the Department of Cardiology. Patients were treated with AVS or SVS. The lipids and hematological parameters were measured at baseline and after 4-week treatment, and the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases were recorded.

RESULTS

After 4-week treatment, the lipids significantly changed. However, for hematological parameters, only mean platelet volume (MPV) significantly decreased after statins treatment (SVS: t = 68.748, P = 0.000; AVS: t = 39.472, P = 0.000), and the extent of decline was similar between SVS group and AVS group (t = 1.063, P = 0.289). There were no correlations between MPV and lipids. SVS and AVS had comparable effects on the lipid parameters after 4-week treatment, and there were no significant correlations of ΔMPV with the Δtotal cholesterol, Δhigh density lipoprotein-cholesterol, Δlow density lipoprotein-cholesterol, Δtriglyceride, Δapolipoproteint A1, Δapolipoproteint B and Δlipoproteint (a) after treatments (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

After statins treatment, the lipids significantly change; only MPV significantly decreases among hematological parameters, but it has no relationship with lipids reduction. The synthetic atorvastatin has similar effects to native simvastatin in the management of patients with risk for cardiovascular diseases.

Endothelial Cell Inflammation and Antioxidant Capacity are Associated With Exercise Performance and Microcirculation in Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease

We determined whether exercise performance and lower extremity microcirculation were associated with endothelial cell inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and with circulating biomarkers of inflammation and antioxidant capacity in 160 patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD). In a multivariate regression model for peak walking time, significant independent variables included ankle-brachial index (P < .001), age (P = .017), hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity (P = .008), and endothelial cell nuclear factor K-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activity (P = .015). In multivariate analyses for time to minimum exercise calf muscle hemoglobin oxygen saturation (StO2), significant independent variables included endothelial cell NF-κB activity (P = .043) and calf muscle StO2 at rest (P = .007). Endothelial cell inflammation and circulating biomarkers of inflammation and antioxidant capacity were associated with exercise performance and microcirculation of the ischemic calf musculature during exercise. The clinical implication is that interventions designed to alleviate endothelial cell inflammation and circulating inflammatory biomarkers, such as antioxidant therapy, may improve exercise performance of symptomatic patients with PAD.