Impacts of atorvastatin on blood lipids and arterial media thickness in new-onset type 2 diabetes patients

Objective To analyze the impact of atorvastatin on blood lipids and arterial media thickness（IMT）in new-onset type 2 diabetes patients. Methods 333 patients,30-70 years old and diagnosed within one year as type 2 diabetes,were selected from the Chinese Diabetes Complication Prevention Study（CDCPS）to take part in this study. Changes of blood lipids and IMT of carotid, femoral and iliac artery pre and post the administration of atorvastatin were tested and followed for 24 months. Results Total cholesterol,triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein decreased significantly （P=0.000）and maintained at a low level. The carotid artery IMT decreased significantly（P=0.022） at the end of this study,but the femoral and iliac artery IMT did not show any obvious change. There were no serious adverse events noticed,during the study period. Conclusion Long-term use of atorvastatin seemed to be safe and effective in reducing blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes thus could delay the development of atherosclerosis. Key words: New-onset type 2 diabetes; Atorvastatin; Blood lipids; Arterial media thickness