Evidence is mounting to suggest that in addition to their ability to substantially reduce LDL cholesterol levels, statins might have other “pleiotropic” effects, for example on markers of oxidative stress. In order to compare the effects of pravastatin and atorvastatin on markers of oxidative stress, Ky et al. performed a randomized control trial of 120 subjects with hypercholesterolemia. Subjects were randomized to pravastatin 40 mg/day (prava80), atorvastatin 10 mg/day (atorva10), atorvastatin 80 mg/day (atorva80), or placebo for a 16-week period. The main outcome measure was changes in markers of oxidative stress, such as urinary isoprostanes, plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), oxidized LDL (oxLDL), and more. No significant changes were observed regarding urinary isoprostanes. However, Lp-PLA2 mass and oxLDL levels decreased in statin-treatment groups, but after adjusting for apolipoprotein B levels, only prava40 was associated with decreases in Lp-PLA2 and only atorva80 with decreases in oxLDL levels. Overall, these results suggest that statins have different effects on markers of oxidative stress. The study suggests, however, that statins’ pleiotropic effects depend on both the choice of statin and on the oxidation markers studied.
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