EFFECT OF SIMVASTATIN TREATMENT ON BONE MINERAL DENSITY IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN
Statins are
able to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality mainly through their
hypocholesterolemic effect. Beyond the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis, the
identification of pleiotropic mechanisms has motivated many studies to evaluate
the effects of statin use on bone mineral density (BMD) modification.
The aim of our study was to evaluate whether simvastatin
treatment (20 mg/d) could modify BMD in hypercholesterolemic women (n=28) after
one-year treatment as compared with a control group treated only with a diet
(n=11). The exclusion criteria was current or previous therapy with statins,
bisphosphonates and/or estrogens. The following parameters were determined at
the beginning and after one year, and those are: total cholesterol,
triglycerides, HDL-C and LDL-C (Friedewald equation). The BMD was measured at
the lumbar spine by dual energy x-ray absorpiometry (DEXA).
In the simvastatin treated group, BMD showed an insignificant
2,812% increase after 12 months, respectively (0,965+0,111 v 0,992+0,110,
P>0,05). The group treated only with hypolipidic diet demonstrated a 3,45%
decrease in BMD (respectively, 1,042+0,181 v 1.006+0,182; P>0,05) after 12
months. Nevertheless, the comparison of average BMD changes between the two
examined groups during one year showed a significant value diference
(-0,027+0,037 v 0,036+0,036; P<0,0006).
As partly suggested by retrospective or observational data,
this longitudinal study indicates that simvastatin treatment achieves a
beneficial effect on BMD. Acta Medica Medianae 2005;44(2): 61-65.
Key words: simvastatin, bone mineral density, hypercholesterolemia, postmenopausal