TY - JOUR
T1 - Pleiotropic effects of statins: stabilization of the vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque?
AU - Akdim, Fatima
AU - van Leuven, Sander I.
AU - Kastelein, John J. P.
AU - Stroes, Erik S. G.
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), i.e. unstable angina and myocardial infarction, are the leading causes of death in developed countries and developing countries alike. Lipid lowering intervention studies have demonstrated a 30% risk reduction in recurrent cardiovascular events and death, despite only modest improvement in angiographic stenosis. This discrepancy suggested that cholesterol lowering by statins may lead to stabilization of vulnerable plaques rather than reducing stenosis per sé. The predominant effect of statins is to lower lipid levels by inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis. Besides the lipid lowering effects, statins have also been shown to modulate the inflammatory status and improve endothelial function amongst others, commonly referred to as "pleiotropic effects". In the present review we will discuss different determinants which lead to plaque vulnerability and subsequently we will expand on the plaque stabilizing or "pleiotropic" effects of statin treatment
AB - Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), i.e. unstable angina and myocardial infarction, are the leading causes of death in developed countries and developing countries alike. Lipid lowering intervention studies have demonstrated a 30% risk reduction in recurrent cardiovascular events and death, despite only modest improvement in angiographic stenosis. This discrepancy suggested that cholesterol lowering by statins may lead to stabilization of vulnerable plaques rather than reducing stenosis per sé. The predominant effect of statins is to lower lipid levels by inhibiting cholesterol biosynthesis. Besides the lipid lowering effects, statins have also been shown to modulate the inflammatory status and improve endothelial function amongst others, commonly referred to as "pleiotropic effects". In the present review we will discuss different determinants which lead to plaque vulnerability and subsequently we will expand on the plaque stabilizing or "pleiotropic" effects of statin treatment
U2 - https://doi.org/10.2174/138161207780487548
DO - https://doi.org/10.2174/138161207780487548
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17430164
SN - 1381-6128
VL - 13
SP - 1003
EP - 1012
JO - Current pharmaceutical design
JF - Current pharmaceutical design
IS - 10
ER -