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Effect of atorvastatin on impaired vascular function in healthy old men
Author(s) -
WeverlingRijnsburger A. W. E.,
Blauw G. J.,
Meinders A. E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.622
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2710
pISSN - 0269-4727
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2710.2004.00548.x
Subject(s) - atorvastatin , sodium nitroprusside , medicine , vasodilation , forearm , plethysmograph , endocrinology , blood pressure , endothelium , endothelial dysfunction , anesthesia , nitric oxide , surgery
Summary Objective: This study was initiated to examine the effect of cholesterol‐lowering therapy with 40 mg atorvastatin on vascular function in healthy old and young men. Methods: We selected healthy normolipidaemic, elderly subjects ( n = 8, mean age 80·1 years) and young subjects ( n = 7, mean age 21·8 years). All had a normal electrocardiograph and blood pressure, and signs or symptoms of cardiovascular disease were absent. The subjects were studied for 2 days, with 6 weeks of atorvastatin treatment in between. Forearm blood flow (FBF) was measured by computerized venous occlusion plethysmography upon intra‐arterial infusion of acetylcholine (ACh; 30 and 90 ng/kg/min) and 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT; 0·3 and 0·9 ng/kg/min) as endothelium‐dependent vasodilators, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 30 and 90 ng/kg/min) as an endothelium‐independent vasodilator. Results: At baseline, the mean absolute FBF in the elderly was 2·6 mL/min/100 mL and in the young 4·3 mL/min/100 mL tissue ( P = 0·01). The mean serum total cholesterol levels were 5·2 and 3·8 mmol/L, respectively ( P = 0·007). The endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation induced by ACh and 5‐HT was significantly lower in the elderly compared with the young (both P < 0·01), whereas the endothelium‐independent vasodilatation induced by SNP was not significantly lower in the elderly compared with the young. Atorvastatin treatment decreased the serum total cholesterol level with a mean of 38 and 28% in the elderly and the young, respectively ( P < 0·001). Impaired endothelium‐dependent vasodilatation, however, was not modified ( P > 0·65). Conclusions: Healthy old men have an impaired endothelium‐dependent vascular response but this impairment is not restored by treatment with atorvastatin.