Source: DGNews  |  Posted 6 years ago

By Maria Bishop

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- November 14, 2005 -- Atorvastatin treatment improves the inflammatory state of patients with chronic kidney disease, with no effect on fibrinolytic balance, noted researchers here on at the 38[^]th[] Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN).

After 6 months of atorvastatin treatment, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol were significantly reduced in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between 15 and 90 mL/min.

Jose Luno, MD, Nephrology Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Madrid, Spain, presented the findings on November 10[^]th[].

All 47 subjects in the study had LDL-cholesterol levels >100 mg/dL, had not been treated with statins during the previous 3 months, and had no cardiovascular event during the same period.

Besides a hypolipidemic effect, the team observed significant reductions in C reactive protein and interleukin 1 levels. The researchers also observed a trend toward reduction of tumor-necrosis factor alfa levels.

There was no change in levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 values.

All patients with chronic kidney disease demonstrated higher levels of inflammatory parameters with respect to the 25 age-matched controls with normal renal function.

The researchers concluded that atorvastatin treatment improves the inflammatory state of these patients without modifying fibrinolytic balance.

[Study title: Beneficial Effects of Atorvastatin on Inflammatory Parameters in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Abstract 955]