Atorvastatin therapy for 6 weeks in patients with chronic hypertriglyceridemia significantly improved the impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation to serotonin from 63% to 106% (P<0.001).
Observational (n=18)
Does atorvastatin therapy improve impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation in patients with chronic hypertriglyceridemia?
Chronic, but not acute, hypertriglyceridemia impairs endothelium-dependent vasodilation, which can be reversed with high-dose atorvastatin therapy.
Absolute Event Rate: 106% vs 63%
p-value: p=<0.001
There is controversy regarding the relation between hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) and endothelial function. This study was designed to investigate endothelial function in a patient group with chronic HTG, before and during lipid-lowering therapy by atorvastatin. In addition, the effects of acute HTG on endothelial function were studied in normolipidemic individuals. Eight male patients with chronic HTG were studied before and after 6 weeks of lipid-lowering treatment with 80 mg atorvastatin once daily. Ten age-matched control subjects were studied at baseline and immediately after a high-dose infusion of artificial triglycerides. The endothelium-dependent response to serotonin was attenuated in the HTG group, whereas the response to acetylcholine was comparable to the response in the control group. The response to the endothelium-independent vasodilator nitroprusside was comparable in both groups. In response to atorvastatin therapy, serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels decreased significantly by 43% (paired t test, P=0.017) and 38% (paired t test, P=0.012), respectively. After 6 weeks of treatment, the forearm blood flow response to serotonin improved from 63% to 106% (ANOVA, P<0.001). Induction of acute HTG in the control subjects did not affect the forearm blood flow responses to serotonin and nitroprusside; however, the response to acetylcholine was paradoxically increased. In conclusion, patients with chronic HTG have an impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation to serotonin that is normalized after 6 weeks of lipid-lowering therapy by atorvastatin.
Man et al. (Wed,) conducted a observational in Chronic hypertriglyceridemia (n=18). Atorvastatin vs. Baseline was evaluated on Forearm blood flow response to serotonin (p=<0.001). Atorvastatin therapy for 6 weeks in patients with chronic hypertriglyceridemia significantly improved the impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation to serotonin from 63% to 106% (P<0.001).