Pitavastatin calcium improves endothelial function and delays the progress of atherosclerosis in patients with hypercholesterolemia

BACKGROUND: Statins have proven efficacy in inhibiting the onset and progress of atherosclerosis. The effectiveness of pitavastatin in reversing carotid atherosclerosis associated with hypercholesterolemia (HC) is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To explore the simultaneous effects of pitavastatin calcium on brachial arterial flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD), carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and arterial stiffness (β), three surrogate markers of atherosclerosis were studied in HC patients. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind trial was performed with 40 HC subjects who fulfilled the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patients were given pitavastatin calcium 1 mg/d (Group 1) or 2 mg/d (Group 2) for 8 weeks. There were 20 patients in each group, and 30 gender- and age-matched healthy subjects as controls were recruited. FMD of the brachial artery, carotid IMT, and arterial stiffness indicated by β were measured at baseline and at 8 weeks after starting pitavastatin calcium therapy using ultrasound techniques. Biochemical tests were also made on all subjects. RESULTS: At baseline, higher total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), reduced FMD, and increased β and IMT were observed in HC patients (P<0.001 for all) compared with controls. After 8 weeks, TC was decreased by 20.59%/27.56% and LDL-C 30.92%/35.64%, respectively, in comparison to baseline groups; the HC groups had reduced β and improved endothelial function over the 8-week follow-up (P<0.05-0.001); nonetheless, no significant alterations of IMT were found (P>0.05). Significant negative interactions between TC/LDL and FMD (P<0.05-0.001), positive interactions between TC and IMT (P=0.003) and between TC/LDL and β (P<0.001-0.000) were found. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with pitavastatin calcium exerted favorable effects on endothelial function and arterial stiffness. It also improved carotid atherosclerosis in patients with HC.