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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #297256
Title: Effects of maximal atorvastatin and rosuvastatin treatment on markers of glucose homeostasis and inflammation

Author
item THONGTANG, NUNTAKORN - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item AI, MASUMI - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item OTOKOZAWA, SEIKO - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item VAN HIMBERGEN, THOMAS - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item ASZTALOS, BELA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item NAKAJIMA, KATSUYUKI - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University
item STEIN, EVAN - Metabolic And Atherosclerosis Research Center
item JONES, PETER - Baylor College Of Medicine
item SCHAEFER, ERNST - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: American Journal of Cardiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2010
Publication Date: 2/1/2011
Citation: Thongtang, N., Ai, M., Otokozawa, S., Van Himbergen, T.M., Asztalos, B.F., Nakajima, K., Stein, E., Jones, P.H., Schaefer, E.J. 2011. Effects of maximal atorvastatin and rosuvastatin treatment on markers of glucose homeostasis and inflammation. American Journal of Cardiology. 107(3):387-392.

Interpretive Summary: The heart health benefits of a class of cholesterol lowering drugs called statins, particularly the drugs rosuvastatin and atorvastatin, on amount of fats and proteins in the blood have been widely demonstrated. However, a recent meta-analysis showed that statins increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and so concerns exist regarding the effects of statins on blood sugar levels. Our study begins to address this question through a head-to-head comparison of the effects of maximum doses of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on the blood glucose and inflammation markers. The study examined 252 men and women with high cholesterol who had been randomized to receive atorvastatin 80 mg/day or rosuvastatin 40 mg/day during a 6-week period. Maximal dosages of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin both significantly increased median insulin levels. These results indicated that the maximum dosage of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin therapy significantly lower the levels of certain inflammatory proteins (C-reactive) but also moderately increase insulin levels.

Technical Abstract: Recent studies show that statin therapy, while effective at lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes. To test the effects of maximal dosages of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin (80mg/day and 40mg/day, respectively) we obtained frozen serum samples from 252 hyperlipidemic men and women who had complete the STELLAR trial. STELLAR was an open-label, randomized, parallel group study designed to compare various statin treatments in hypercholesterolemic patients. In our substudy, the direct LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels were measured using kits obtained from Roche Diagnostics and small dense LDL cholesterol was measured using kits provided by Denka Seiken. GA was measured using kits obtained from Asahi-Kasei Pharma. ADN was measured using a latex particle-enhanced immunoturbidometric assay, and insulin was measured using a latex immunoassay (both assays obtained from Otsuka Pharmaceutical). CRP was measured using a high-sensitivity immunoassay obtained from Wako Diagnostics. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin at the maximum dosage both significantly (p <0.05) increased the median insulin levels by 5.2% and 8.7%, respectively, from baseline. However, only atorvastatin increased the glycated albumin levels from baseline (+0.8% for atorvastatin vs -0.7% for rosuvastatin, p = 0.002). Both atorvastatin and rosuvastatin caused significant (p <0.001) and similar median reductions in the C-reactive protein level of -40% and -26% compared to the baseline values. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups in the adiponectin changes from baseline (-1.5% vs -4.9%, p = 0.15). In conclusion, our data indicate that the maximum dosage of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin therapy significantly lower C-reactive protein levels but also moderately increase insulin levels. However, the mechanisms by which statins have differential effects on glucose homeostasis remain unclear.