Effects of Rosuvastatin vs. Simvastatin/ezetimibe on Arterial Wall Stiffness in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

OBJECTIVE: Statins prevent cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there is little information regarding the vascular effects of statins on arterial wall stiffness in CAD patients. METHODS: A total of 36 patients were randomly assigned to receive rosuvastatin (10 mg per day) or simvastatin/ezetimibe (10/10 mg per day) for eight weeks. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of rosuvastatin or simvastatin/ezetimibe on arterial wall stiffness measured according to the brachial and ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in CAD patients. RESULTS: Both treatments significantly improved the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p<0.05). The ROCK activity and baPWV were significantly improved in the rosuvastatin group compared with that observed in the simvastatin/ezetimibe group (p<0.05). The changes in baPWV were significantly correlated with the changes in the ROCK activity (r=0.488, p<0.01), but not with the changes in the lipid profile or the hs-CRP level. CONCLUSION: Compared with simvastatin/ezetimibe (10/10 mg), rosuvastatin (10 mg) appears to more effectively improve arterial wall stiffness that may be mediated by modulation of the ROCK activity.