Title:Effects of Simvastatin on the Metabolism of Fatty Acids in Combined Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: Dosage and Gender Differences between the Effects
Volume: 20
Issue: 2
Author(s): Mikhail Y. Kotlovskiy*, Elena V. Udut, Gaisa T. Kairov, Vladimir P. Fisenko and Vladimir V. Udut
Affiliation:
- Laboratory of Drug Toxicology, Goldberg Research Institute of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Science, Tomsk,Russian Federation
Keywords:
Simvastatin, fatty acids, coronary heart disease, LDL, myocardial infarction, stroke.
Abstract:
Background: Statins are currently used for secondary prevention of Coronary Heart
Disease (CHD), as the lipid-lowering therapy with them is proven safe and effective.
Objective: The purpose of this research is to investigate the dose-dependent effect of statins used
for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, as well as mechanisms of quantitative and
qualitative changes in lipoproteins, fatty acids and cholesterol in the blood and tissues of people of
both sexes.
Methods: In a clinical trial (n=125, of which 89 patients belong to group 1 and 36 to group 2) and
an experiment on laboratory animals (n = 100), simvastatin reduced the total level of fatty acids in
blood plasma, when given in the amount that was within the therapeutic dose range.
Results: This effect was achieved through a drug-induced improvement in the capacity of hepatic
cells to absorb Low-density (LDL) and Very-low-density (VLDL) lipoproteins.
Conclusion: Considering the formation of saturated fatty acids, statin performed better in males.
With Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids involved, changes in lipoproteins, cholesterol and fatty
acids (liver and myocardium) were similar to those caused by small doses of a statin drug. Effects
of the combination of bisoprolol and acetylsalicylic acid were completely different from those
caused by the use of statin.
