The effects of statin therapy on plasma markers of inflammation in patients without vascular disease.

Statins may reduce cardiovascular risk via mechanisms other than cholesterol reduction alone. This decrease in risk may in part be secondary to pleiotropic effects such as decreased inflammation and improved endothelial function. Statin therapy has been shown to affect the levels of certain plasma markers of inflammation, markers which are predictive of cardiovascular risk and may also play a role in the disease process. This article will review the relationship between inflammatory markers and cardiovascular disease risk and the effects of statins on these markers in subjects without a known history of coronary disease.