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Statin Treatment Improves Coronary Circulation in Diabetics

Posted: Thursday, April 27, 2006

Statin treatment appears to improve development of coronary collateral circulation in patients with diabetes mellitus and advanced coronary artery disease.

Collateral coronary formation is an important compensatory mechanism in coronary disease, Dr. Irem Dincer and colleagues at Ankara University Medical Faculty note. However, diabetics have impaired coronary collateral development.

To investigate whether statin treatment might improve such development, the researchers studied 149 diabetics who had at least 95% stenosis of one or more major coronary arteries. Of these patients, 74 (56%) were receiving statin treatment.

Coronary angiograms were reviewed and coronary collaterals were assessed by two blinded cardiologists. Overall, 79 patients (54%) had good collateral development and the remainder had poor development.

Analyses showed that there was no relationship between collateral development and a wide range of factors including age, gender, myocardial infarction and ejection fraction.

However, statin treatment was an independent predictor of better collateral development (odds ratio, 3.00). Stable angina pectoris was also predictive of collateral development (odds ratio 3.24), the investigators report in the March 15th issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

There was also a relationship between the dosage and duration of statin treatment and collateral development. However, this association was based only on a few patients who were receiving either high or low statin dosages.

Nevertheless, the team concludes that "the findings support our hypothesis that statin treatment increases collateral development in diabetic patients."

Source: Diabetes In Control: Am J Cardiol 2006;97:772-774