Statins are the mainstay treatment for hyperlipidemia. They are hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA inhibitors and cause reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels. Atorvastatin is one of the most commonly used statins. These drugs are usually prescribed in a daily dose regimen. Due to the long duration of action and prolonged effect on hepatocytes, alternate day atorvastatin therapy...

BACKGROUND Previous trials have demonstrated that lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels below currently recommended levels is beneficial in patients with acute coronary syndromes. We prospectively assessed the efficacy and safety of lowering LDL cholesterol levels below 100 mg per deciliter (2.6 mmol per liter) in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS ...

BACKGROUND Recent evidence suggests that the lipid-lowering agent atorvastatin is also a potent immunomodulator. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effect of atorvastatin on the decline of residual beta cell function in recent-onset type 1 diabetes. METHODS AND FINDINGS The randomised placebo-controlled Diabetes and Atorvastatin (DIATOR) Trial included 89 patients with newl...

BACKGROUND Many of the pleiotropic effects of statins remain to be elucidated. HYPOTHESIS Different statin regimens with similar lipid-lowering efficacy may have different effects on biomarkers of atherothrombosis including lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂ (Lp-PLA₂ ). METHODS After a 4-week dietary lead-in, 82 hypercholesterolemic patients were randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups: ...

INTRODUCTION Statins, hydroxymethylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, have been reported to have antiinflammatory and/or immunomodulatory effects and prophylactic and therapeutic effects in collagen-induced arthritis, an experimental model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The authors undertook to determine the effect of atorvastatin on the expressions of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor a...

OBJECTIVE Inhibitors of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase enzyme (statins) are cholesterol-lowering drugs that have shown promise as therapeutic agents in various animal models of autoimmune disease. The results of initial clinical trials with statins in multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have also been encouraging. In this study, we attempted to treat a wid...

BACKGROUND We studied whether lipid-lowering therapy with atorvastatin (target LDL cholesterol [LDL-C] <100 mg/dL) compared with a moderate treatment regimen that used other lipid-lowering drugs led to a lesser progression of atherosclerosis and to different changes in plaque echogenicity in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS This study was a 12-month, open-label, rand...

Statins exert beneficial effects in chronically damaged tissues. Angiotensin II (ANG II) participates in liver fibrogenesis by inducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) expression. We investigate whether atorvastatin modulates ANG II-induced pathogenic effects in the liver. Male Wistar rats were infused with saline or ANG II (100 ng kg(-1) min(-1)...

BACKGROUND Statins, widely used cholesterol-lowering agents, have also been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory and immunomdulatory effects. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of atorvastatin in combination with Interferon-β in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a randomized controlled clinical trial. METHODS Multiple sclerosis patients were randomized independently, in a double ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Presenilin1 (PS1) regulates Notch1 signaling activity, which liberates Notch intracellular domain (NICD). Notch activation promotes neural progenitor cell (NPC) self-renewal in the developing brain. In this study, we tested whether atorvastatin-induced NPC proliferation after stroke is mediated by PS1 and Notch1 activation. METHODS PS1 and NICD expressions were measured...