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Atorvastatin therapy improves exercise oxygen uptake kinetics in post‐myocardial infarction patients
Author(s) -
Guazzi M.,
Tumminello G.,
Reina G.,
Vicenzi M.,
Guazzi M. D.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
european journal of clinical investigation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.164
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1365-2362
pISSN - 0014-2972
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2362.2007.01805.x
Subject(s) - atorvastatin , medicine , cardiology , myocardial infarction , crossover study , coronary artery disease , placebo , statin , alternative medicine , pathology
Background Statins represent a modern mainstay of the drug treatment of coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndromes. Reduced aerobic work performance and slowed VO 2 kinetics are established features of the clinical picture of post‐myocardial infarction (MI) patients. We tested the hypothesis that statin therapy improves VO 2 exercise performance in normocholesterolaemic post‐MI patients. Materials and methods According to a double‐blinded, randomized, crossover and placebo‐controlled study design, in 18 patients with uncomplicated recent (3 days) MI we investigated the effects of atorvastatin (20 mg day −1 ) on gas exchange kinetics by calculating VO 2 effective time constant (tau) during a 50‐watt constant workload exercise, brachial artery flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) as an index of endothelial function, left ventricular function (echocardiography) and C‐reactive protein (CRP, as an index of inflammation). Atorvastatin or placebo was given for 3 months each. Results Atorvastatin therapy significantly improved exercise VO 2 tau and FMD, and reduced CRP levels. We did not observe changes in cardiac contractile function and relaxation properties during all study periods in either group. Conclusions In post‐MI patients exercise performance is a potential additional target of benefits related to statin therapy. Endothelial function improvement is very likely implicated in this newly described therapeutic property.