EVALUATION OF EFFICACY OF ATORVASTATIN IN PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR RISKS IN STABLE CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE PATIENTS

Objective: To demonstrate the dual cardiopulmonary protective effects of Atorvastatin in COPD patients, which may become the mainstay of therapy in prevention of exacerbation of COPD and cardiovascular events in COPD patients.Study Design: Quasi experimental study.Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted over a period of 6 months (December 2010 to May 2011) with an individual study period of 3 months (90 days), conducted in the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics in collaboration with Chest medicine JPMC Karachi.Subjects and Methods: Thirty five moderate stable COPD with post bronchodilator FEV 3mg/l, were evaluated in a quasi experimental trial. The patients were assigned to give tablet Atorvastatin 20 mg once daily for 12 consecutive weeks. The primary study outcome was to evaluate the reduction in cardiovascular risk by evaluating the improvement in FEV1 and reduction in hsCRP levels. Efficacy was evaluated at days 30, 60 and day 90.Results: Out of 35 patients only 33 (94%) patients completed the study. At baseline hsCRP level was 6.45±0.30 which decreased to 4.6±0.19 (p<0.05) at day 90. FEV1 at baseline was 2.16±0.07 and at day 90 FEV1 increased upto 2.48±0.06 (p<0.01). This shows that, the Atorvastatin can lead to statistically significant decrease in the hsCRP levels and increase the forced expiratory volume in one second.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Atorvastatin effectively decreases the cardiovascular risk by decreasing the systemic inflammation which was indicated by decreasing the hsCRP levels and it can also improve the pulmonary functional capacity in COPD patients.