Effect of Atorvastatin on bone mineral density in patients with acute coronary syndrome

J.L. Pérez-Castrillón, L. Abad, G. Vega, A. Sanz-Cantalapiedra, M. García-Porrero, F. Pinacho, A. Dueñas

Department of Medicine, Rio Hortega University Hospital, Valladolid (Spain)

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• Pharmacology

Abstract. – Objective: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on bone mineral density in patients with acute ischemic heart disease.
Matherial and Methods: Eighty-three patients (52 male and 31 female) with acute coronary syndrome were studied. They received treatment with atorvastatin using low doses (20 mg) and high doses (40 mg-80 mg). Initial and final cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D were obtained from every patient. Spine and hip bone mineral density were performed at the beginning and one year later.
Results: Atorvastatin treatment increases vitamin D (33%, p = 0.007) and decreases the individuals with vitamin D insufficiency. Bone mineral density increased in the spine (1.31%, p = 0.02), but it was significant only in male and patients presenting vitamin D levels higher than 30 nmol/l.
Conclusion: Atorvastatin has a beneficial effect on bone metabolism in patients with acute ischemic heart disease (mainly males) by incrementing bone mineral density in which vitamin D levels are required to be higher than 30 nmol/l for the drug to be effective.

Corresponding Author: José Luis Pérez-Castrillón, MD; e-mail: castrv@terra.es