The Pleiotropic Effects of Statins - From Coronary Artery Disease and Stroke to Atrial Fibrillation and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia.

The Pleiotropic Effects of Statins - From Coronary Artery Disease and Stroke to Atrial Fibrillation and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia. Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2018 Aug 17;: Authors: Liao JK, Oesterle A Abstract Statins, 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, have been used for decades for the prevention of coronary artery disease and stroke. They act primarily by lowering serum cholesterol through the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in the liver, which results in the upregulation of low-density lipoprotein receptors in the liver. This results in the removal of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Studies have suggested that statins may demonstrate additional effects that are independent of their effects on low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. These have been termed "pleiotropic" effects. Pleiotropic effects may be due to the inhibition of isoprenoid intermediates by statins. Isoprenoid inhibition has effects on the small guanosine triphosphate binding proteins Rac and Rho which in turn effects nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases. Therefore, there are changes in endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression, atherosclerotic plaque stability, pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species production, platelet reactivity, and cardiac fibrosis and hypetrophy development. Recently, statins have been compared to the ezetimibe and the recently published outcomes data on the proprotein convertase sub...
Source: Current Vascular Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Curr Vasc Pharmacol Source Type: research