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(Hypertension. 2009;54:763.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Articles

Arterial Destiffening With Atorvastatin in Overweight and Obese Middle-Aged and Older Adults

From the Human Integrative Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Correspondence to Kevin P. Davy, Human Integrative Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061. E-mail kdavy{at}vt.edu

We hypothesized that atorvastatin (ATOR) treatment would reduce arterial stiffness in overweight and obese middle-aged and older adults. Twenty-six (11 men and 15 women) overweight or obese (body mass index: 31.6±0.7 kg/m²) middle-aged and older adults (age: 54±2 years) were randomly assigned to receive either ATOR (80 mg/d) or placebo for 12 weeks. Arterial stiffness (β-stiffness and pulse wave velocity) was measured before and after the intervention. At baseline, the ATOR (n=16) and placebo (n=10) groups did not differ with respect to age, body mass index, blood pressure, serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, indices of arterial stiffness, or compliance (all P>0.05). After the 12-week treatment period, the ATOR group experienced a 47% reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (149±6 to 80±8 mg/dL) and a 42% reduction in high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (3.6±0.8 to 2.1±0.5 mg/L; both P<0.05). In addition, β-stiffness (9.4±0.6 to 7.6±0.5 U) and aortic pulse wave velocity (1096±36 to 932±32 cm/s), but not brachial pulse wave velocity, decreased (both P<0.05) with ATOR. In contrast, there were no significant changes in β-stiffness (9.1±0.8 to 9.1±0.7 U) or aortic pulse wave velocity (1238±89 to 1191±90 cm/s; both P>0.05) in the placebo group. There were no relations between the reductions in arterial stiffness indices and any of the baseline cardiometabolic risk factors (all P>0.05). However, the reductions in arterial stiffness were correlated with the reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol but not high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or any other cardiometabolic variables (all P<0.05). Taken together, these findings suggest that ATOR reduces arterial stiffness in overweight and obese middle-aged and older adults, and these favorable changes occur irrespective of baseline cardiometabolic risk factors.

Key Words: statins • arterial stiffness • arterial compliance • aging • obesity