Adding exercise training to rosuvastatin treatment: influence on serum lipids and biomarkers of muscle and liver damage.

Statin treatment and exercise training can improve lipid profile when administered separately. The efficacy of exercise and statin treatment combined, and its impact on myalgia and serum creatine kinase (CK) have not been completely addressed. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of statin treatment and the addition of exercise training on lipid profile, including oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL), and levels of CK and alanine transaminase. Thirty-one hypercholesterolemic and physically inactive subjects were randomly assigned to rosuvastatin (R) or rosuvastatin/exercise (RE) group. A third group of physically active hypercholesterolemic subjects served as an active control group (AC). The R and RE groups received rosuvastatin treatment (10 mg/d) for 20 weeks. From week 10 to week 20, the RE group also participated in a combined endurance and resistive exercise training program (3 d/wk). Lipid profile was determined for all subjects at week 0 (Pre), week 10 (Mid), and week 20 (Post). The CK and alanine transaminase levels were measured at the same time points in the RE and R groups and 48 hours after the first and fifth exercise bout in the RE group. Each RE subject was formally queried about muscle fatigue, soreness, and stiffness before each training session. Total, LDL, and oxLDL cholesterol was lower in the RE and R groups at Mid and Post time points when compared with Pre. Oxidized LDL was lower in the RE group compared with the R group at the Post time point. When treatment groups (R and RE) were combined, high-density lipoprotein levels were increased and triglycerides decreased across time. Creatine kinase increased in the RE group 48 hours after the first exercise bout, but returned to baseline levels 48 hours after the fifth exercise bout. Rosuvastatin treatment decreased total, LDL, and oxLDL cholesterol. The addition of an exercise training program resulted in a further decrease in oxLDL. There was no abnormal sustained increase in CK or reports of myalgia after the addition of exercise training to rosuvastatin treatment.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes