Effect of intensive statin therapy on arterial elasticity in patients with coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: Reduced arterial compliance is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality and is commonly encountered in patients with coronary artery disease. Statins may produce cholesterol-independent effects which can result at least in part from direct improvement of the arterial function. In this study, we sought to determine the effect of intensive statin therapy according to the Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines on arterial compliance in dyslipidaemic patients with angiographically-proven CAD selected for medical treatment. METHODS: Patients (n = 33) received atorvastatin 40 mg/day for 6 months. Large arterial compliance and small arterial compliance were measured at baseline and after 6 months of atorvastatin treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the large artery elasticity index (LAEI) increased from 11.85 +/- 3.46 to 13.80 +/- 3.95 ml/mm Hg x 100 (P < 0.001) and the small artery elasticity index (SAEI) increased from 3.84 +/- 1.97 to 4.97 +/- 1.98 ml/mm Hg (P = 0.03). There was no correlation between the change in either LAEI or SAEI and other baseline variables or changes in lipid levels. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that intensive statin therapy according to the Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines improves arterial elasticity in CAD patients selected for medical treatment. The beneficial vascular effect of atorvastatin on arterial elasticity was independent of lipid parameters.

[Association of microalbuminuria and fasting insulin levels with presence and severity of coronary artery disease in non-diabetic cases]. / Diyabetik olmayan olgularda mikroalbüminüri ve açlik insülin düzeyi ile koroner arter hastaligi varligi ve siddetinin iliskisi.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to determine the relation of presence and severity of coronary artery disease with microalbuminuria, fasting insulin levels and the classical risk factors in non-diabetic patients. METHODS: We enrolled 100 non-diabetic patients that had an indication for coronary angiography. Group 1 consisted of 55 patients with coronary artery disease, and 45 patients without coronary artery disease were included in Group 2. The study was cross-sectional and case-controlled. In all patients 24-hour microalbuminuria, serum total, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and lipoprotein a, triglyceride, fasting blood sugar levels were obtained. Fasting insulin levels were determined and routine urinary tests were performed. Gensini scoring was done for determination of the severity of coronary artery disease. Statistical analysis was performed using unpaired t test, Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, ROC analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Microalbuminuria levels (p<0.001), fasting insulin levels (p<0.001), mean age (p=0.01), pulse pressure (p=0.014), LDL cholesterol levels (p=0.004), lipoprotein a levels (p<0.001) were significantly higher and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly lower (p=0.015) in Group 1 compared to the Group 2. Male gender was more frequent in Group 1 (p<0.001). With cut-off values defined by ROC analysis microalbuminuria (18 microgr/min, sensitivity: 91%, specificity: 45%, area under the curve: 0.790, 95% CI 2.43-15.96, p<0.001) increased probability of coronary artery disease by 6.2-fold and fasting insulin level higher than 10 microIU/ml by 11 folds at multivariate logistic regression analysis. When the cases were evaluated according to the Gensini scoring there was a significant association of coronary artery disease and microalbuminuria (r=0.52, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: We concluded that in non-diabetic cases microalbuminuria and increased fasting insulin levels were predictors of presence and the severity of coronary artery disease and can be suggested as risk factors.

The effect of orlistat-induced weight loss on interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels in obese subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Obesity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which may be mediated by increased secretion of proinflammatory cytokines by adipose tissue. The aim of this study is to investigate changes in the inflammatory markers interleukin-6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) during weight reduction with orlistat treatment in obese patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirty-six obese (BMI: 36.1 +/- 3.4 kg/m2) and II non-obese (BMI: 22.9 +/- 1.7 kg/m2) subjects were studied. IL-6 and hs-CRP levels were evaluated at baseline. In obese subjects after treatment of orlistat 120 mg three times daily for 6 months, IL-6 and hs-CRP levels were repeated. Levels of circulating IL-6 (p < 0.05) and hs-CRP (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group. Plasma IL-6 (r = 0.29 and p < 0.05) and CRP (r = 0.35 and p < 0.05) concentrations correlated positively with the level of obesity assessed by BMI at baseline. After 6 months of orlistat treatment in obese subjects, the mean weight of the patients decreased by 6.8 kg, the BMI by 3.2 kg/m2. Compared with baseline, weight loss was associated with significant reductions of IL-6 (p < 0.001) and hs-CRP (p < 0.001) levels. CONCLUSION: In summary plasma IL-6 and hs-CRP levels were increased in obese patients. Orlistat-induced weight reduction was associated with decreasing levels of both IL-6 and hs-CRP in obese subjects. Because inflammatory mediators may be directly involved in atherogenesis, this would suggest that interventions to reduce IL-6 and CRP levels could be cardioprotective.

Effects of glucose-insulin-potassium solution added to reperfusion treatment in acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: Reperfusion treatment modalities used in the routine treatment protocols of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were found to be ineffective in establishing the nutritional cellular reperfusion in the microvascular environment even they succeed to open the infarct related artery. Glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) solution, which is presumed to stimulate the glycolytic pathway, is experimentally proven to be the most efficacious substrate for the preservation of energy production and therefore the myocardial viability, in the setting of acute ischemia. METHODS: We compared, 54 patients who suffered AMI and received GIK solution (300 g glucose+50 IU crystallized insulin+80 mEq potassium chloride in one liter solution) in addition to conventional treatment (GIK group) with 27 patients who were traditionally treated (control group) for in-hospital and early-term (1 month) cardiac morbidity. We also compared the two groups in terms of heart rate variability (HRV). RESULTS: Eight patients in the control group developed new-onset symptomatic congestive heart failure whereas only 5 patients in GIK group were found to have such a cardiac morbidity (p=0.01). Reduced HRV (<50 ms) was found in 3 patients of control group whereas no patient in GIK group had abnormal HRV (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: The GIK solution decreased the incidence of new-onset symptomatic congestive heart failure and low HRV after myocardial infarction. Larger multicenter trials need to resolve the questions on the efficiency of metabolic intervention with GIK solution in acute myocardial infarction.