OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effectiveness of statins in daily practice in reducing the arterial wall thicknesses by comparing the carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) between statin-treated familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients and their unaffected spouses. METHODS: FH subjects treated with LDL-c lowering medication for at least 5 years and their unaffected spouses were included in this observational study. Clinical data and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as surrogate marker for atherosclerosis were acquired. RESULTS: In total 40 FH patients, age 48.4±4.2 years, and their 40 unaffected spouses, age 47.4±3.9 years, were included. Pre-treatment total cholesterol levels of FH patients were on average 9.3±2.0 mmol/L. Treated FH patients and unaffected spouses exhibited similar LDL-c (3.8±1.5 vs. 3.5±1.1 mmol/L; p=0.25) and total cholesterol levels (5.8±1.6 vs. 5.6±1.1 mmol/L; p=0.56). Also, in a multivariate model cIMT adjusted for age and sex did not differ between affected and spouses (95% CI: -0.032 to 0.092 mm; p=0.34). CONCLUSION: Long-term statin treatment normalizes cIMT in severe FH patients and therefore it is likely that the extreme risk of cardiovascular disease in FH patients is significantly reduced by this therapy.
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effectiveness of statins in daily practice in reducing the arterial wall thicknesses by comparing the carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) between statin-treated familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) patients and their unaffected spouses. METHODS:FH subjects treated with LDL-c lowering medication for at least 5 years and their unaffected spouses were included in this observational study. Clinical data and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as surrogate marker for atherosclerosis were acquired. RESULTS: In total 40 FHpatients, age 48.4±4.2 years, and their 40 unaffected spouses, age 47.4±3.9 years, were included. Pre-treatment total cholesterol levels of FHpatients were on average 9.3±2.0 mmol/L. Treated FHpatients and unaffected spouses exhibited similar LDL-c (3.8±1.5 vs. 3.5±1.1 mmol/L; p=0.25) and total cholesterol levels (5.8±1.6 vs. 5.6±1.1 mmol/L; p=0.56). Also, in a multivariate model cIMT adjusted for age and sex did not differ between affected and spouses (95% CI: -0.032 to 0.092 mm; p=0.34). CONCLUSION: Long-term statin treatment normalizes cIMT in severe FHpatients and therefore it is likely that the extreme risk of cardiovascular disease in FHpatients is significantly reduced by this therapy.
Authors: Marta Futema; Sonia Shah; Jackie A Cooper; KaWah Li; Ros A Whittall; Mahtab Sharifi; Olivia Goldberg; Euridiki Drogari; Vasiliki Mollaki; Albert Wiegman; Joep Defesche; Maria N D'Agostino; Antonietta D'Angelo; Paolo Rubba; Giuliana Fortunato; Małgorzata Waluś-Miarka; Robert A Hegele; Mary Aderayo Bamimore; Ronen Durst; Eran Leitersdorf; Monique T Mulder; Jeanine E Roeters van Lennep; Eric J G Sijbrands; John C Whittaker; Philippa J Talmud; Steve E Humphries Journal: Clin Chem Date: 2014-11-20 Impact factor: 8.327
Authors: Uma Ramaswami; Marta Futema; Martin P Bogsrud; Kirsten B Holven; Jeanine Roeters van Lennep; Albert Wiegman; Olivier S Descamps; Michal Vrablik; Tomas Freiberger; Hans Dieplinger; Susanne Greber-Platzer; Gabriele Hanauer-Mader; Mafalda Bourbon; Euridiki Drogari; Steve E Humphries Journal: Atherosclerosis Date: 2019-11-15 Impact factor: 5.162