Angina Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Angina, including details on symptoms, treatment, causes, prevention, surgery.

Effects of Atorvastatin on vitamin D levels in patients with acute ischemic heart disease.

Pérez-Castrillón JL, Vega G, Abad L, Sanz A, Chaves J, Hernandez G, Dueñas A

Internal Medicine Department, Río Hortega University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain. castrv@terra.es

Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for osteoporosis and other chronic diseases, including type 1 diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and ischemic heart disease. Cholesterol and vitamin D share the 7-dehydrocholesterol metabolic pathway. This study evaluated the possible effect of atorvastatin on vitamin D levels in patients with acute ischemic heart disease. Eighty-three patients (52 men and 31 women) with an acute coronary syndrome (75 with acute myocardial infarction and 8 with unstable angina) were included. After diagnosis, patients received atorvastatin as secondary prevention. Serum vitamin D was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography at baseline and at 12 months. Atorvastatin treatment produced a statistically significant decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride levels and an increase in vitamin D levels (41+/-19 vs 47+/-19 nmol/L, p=0.003). Vitamin D deficiency was decreased by 75% to 57% at 12 months. In conclusion, atorvastatin increases vitamin D levels. This increase could explain some of the beneficial effects of atorvastatin at the cardiovascular level that are unrelated to cholesterol levels.

Published 2 April 2007 in Am J Cardiol, 99(7): 903-5.
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