Effects of Rosuvastatin vs. Simvastatin/ezetimibe on Arterial Wall Stiffness in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Objective Statins prevent cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there is little information regarding the vascular effects of statins on arterial wall stiffness in CAD patients. Methods A total of 36 patients were randomly assigned to receive rosuvastatin (10 mg per day) or simvastatin/ezetimibe (10/10 mg per day) for eight weeks. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of rosuvastatin or simvastatin/ezetimibe on arterial wall stiffness measured according to the brachial and ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in CAD patients. Results Both treatments significantly improved the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (p<0.05). The ROCK activity and baPWV were significantly improved in the rosuvastatin group compared with that observed in the simvastatin/ezetimibe group (p<0.05). The changes in baPWV were significantly correlated with the changes in the ROCK activity (r=0.488, p<0.01), but not with the changes in the lipid profile or the hs-CRP level. Conclusion Compared with simvastatin/ezetimibe (10/10 mg), rosuvastatin (10 mg) appears to more effectively improve arterial wall stiffness that may be mediated by modulation of the ROCK activity.