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Thromb Haemost 2001; 85(01): 47-51
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1612902
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Similar Effects of Atorvastatin, Simvastatin and Pravastatin on Thrombogenic and Inflammatory Parameters in Patients with Hypercholesterolemia

Christian Joukhadar
1   Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Nikolas Klein
1   Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Mojgan Prinz
2   Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Claudia Schrolnberger
1   Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Thomas Vukovich
2   Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Michael Wolzt
1   Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Leopold Schmetterer
1   Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
3   Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
,
Guido T. Dorner
1   Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Physics, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 03 November 1999

Accepted after resubmission 06 September 2000

Publication Date:
08 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

Background: Previous studies have suggested that statins exert beneficial effects beyond their favorable lipid lowering effect. Particularly, the modification of thrombus formation and degradation, alteration in inflammatory response, plaque stabilization and improved endothelial function are thought to be responsible for additional reduction of morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular events. To date, however, it is still unclear whether these effects are elicited by all statins. Methods and Results: We set out to compare in a controlled, randomized, double-blind study design the effects of almost equieffective cholesterol lowering doses of three chemically and pharmacokinetically different statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin) on hemostatic and inflammatory markers in 99 hypercholesterolemic patients. At entry and 3 months after onset of statin therapy plasma cholesterol and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf-Ag), fibrinogen, d-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1+2 (F1.2) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The effect on plasma values of F1.2, vWf-Ag, d-dimer and CRP was not significantly different between the three treatment groups. The effect of simvastatin on fibrinogen (p = 0.005) was more pronounced than the effects of atorvastatin (p = 0.48 n.s.) and pravastatin (p = 0.15 n.s.). Plasma levels of F1.2 and vWf-Ag (when data of all statins were pooled) were significantly reduced by 7% and 10% versus baseline, respectively. No significant reduction was observed for d-dimer (p = 0.26) and CRP (p = 0.5). Total plasma cholesterol levels decreased significantly (p <0.0001 in all groups) between 22% and 29% compared to baseline. Conclusion: The present study shows similar shortterm (3 months) effects of atorvastatin, simvastatin and pravastatin on selected hemostatic and inflammatory parameters in plasma in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Thus, chemical and pharmacological differences between statins appear to exert no major influence on these parameters.

Keywords

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor - C-reactive protein - hemostatic factors
 

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