Statines reduceren markers inflammatie

Statin therapy is associated with significant reductions in inflammatory parameters such as white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP), an analysis of US population data indicates.
 

The investigators say their results support the hypothesis that statins have anti-inflammatory properties, although they admit the potential mechanisms underlying such an effect are uncertain.
 

Sung Sug Yoon (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland, USA) and team studied data collected during the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted between 1999 and 2004.
 

In this population-based sample, 9128 men and women aged 40 years and over were comprehensively assessed for clinical and demographic variables. Participants were classified into four groups: those taking a statin (6.8%); those taking anti-inflammatory/antibiotic (A/A) drugs (27.3%); those taking both statins and A/As (8.4%); and those taking neither statins nor A/As.
 

Yoon and team focused on three markers of inflammation: WBC, CRP, and ferritin.

Writing in the Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis, they report that mean age-adjusted CRP levels were significantly lower among statin users than in non-users of either statins or A/A (0.3 vs 0.4 mg/dl).Meanwhile, the mean age-adjusted WBC was significantly higher in both A/A users and statin plus A/A users than in non-users of either type of drug (7.1 and 7.4 vs 6.9 SI).Ferritin levels did not vary with use of either statins or A/A drugs, however.

Finally, in multiple linear regression analysis, statin use was a significant independent predictor for lower WBC and CRP levels, after adjusting for a raft of potential confounders.

In their discussion, Yoon et al note that the anti-inflammatory properties of statins may be due to inhibiting the production of isoprenoids, which share a biosynthetic pathway with cholesterol. Alternatively, simply reducing the total amount of cholesterol available for plaque formation may lower the cholesterol content of atherosclerotic plaques, leading to smaller and fewer plaques and less predisposition to inflammation.

They conclude: "This analysis supports the hypothesis that statins have anti-inflammatory effects which may possibly help to moderate the risk of heart disease and stroke."