EFFECT OF ROSUVASTATIN ON THE PARAMETERS OF MICROCIRCULATION IN PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
Objective: Our aim was to investigate the effects of lipidlowering therapy (rosuvastatin) on skin microvascular function as the model of myocardial microcirculation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: This open-label single-arm study included 24 CAD patients (16 male; mean age 57.1±6.4 years), who did not receive lipid-lowering therapy for 4 weeks. At baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment with rosuvastatin 10 mg daily all patients underwent laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) with amplitude-frequency wavelet analysis of skin blood flow oscillations. Results: At 12 weeks rosuvastatin therapy decreased mean total cholesterol level from 5.69 ± 1.17 mmol/l to 4.02 ± 1.18 mmol/l, LDL-C level from 4.14 ± 1.10 mmol/l to 2.30 ± 0.91 mmol/l (р < 0.01). LDF demonstrated significant increase in tissue perfusion level by 35% (р < 0.01), as well as significant increase in amplitude of passive vascular tone regulation mechanisms (cardiac and respiratory). Additionally, there was significant increase in amplitude of all active vascular tone regulation mechanisms -endothelial, neurogenic (sympathetic) and myogenic. Conclusion: Lipid-lowering therapy improves microcirculatory blood flow in patients with CAD by means of 1) increase in total tissue perfusion level 2) enhanced endothelium-dependent arteriolar vasodilation and 3) decrease in neurogenic and myogenic tone of arterioles.