Potential role of leukotriene receptor antagonists in reducing cardiovascular and cerbrovascular risk: A systematic review of human clinical trials and in vivo animal studies

Background: Leukotrienes are important lipid mediators of inflammation arising from arachidonic acid cascade. They are implicated in vascular inflammation and produced in different pathologic conditions as atherosclerosis, stroke and myocardial infarction. Different studies have investigated the role of leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) in reducing some cardiovascular events, especially in animals. We conducted a systematic review of both in vivo animal and human studies to determine the potential role of leukotriene receptor antagonist in reducing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Methods: Data sources: Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane database. Data extraction: Two reviewers independently screened potentially eligible articles and extracted relevant data. Results: A total of 28 studies were included, of which 26 were conducted in animals, and 2 in humans. Conclusions: All animal studies reported that using a leukotriene receptor antagonist brings to a reduction of either myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, or atherosclerosis risk. Similar results were obtained from two clinical trials on humans, suggesting a potential role of montelukast in reducing some cardiovascular diseases.