Korean Circ J.  2016 Mar;46(2):147-153. 10.4070/kcj.2016.46.2.147.

Rosuvastatin Reduces Blood Viscosity in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

• Jung LY
• Lee SR
• Jung JM
• Kim YS
• Lee SH
• Rhee KS
• Chae JK
• Lee DH
• Kim DS
• Kim WH
• Ko JK

• KMID: 2344465
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2016.46.2.147

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Wall shear stress contributes to atherosclerosis progression and plaque rupture. There are limited studies for statin as a major contributing factor on whole blood viscosity (WBV) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This study investigates the effect of statin on WBV in ACS patients.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We prospectively enrolled 189 consecutive patients (mean age, 61.3±10.9 years; 132 males; ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, n=52; non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, n=84; unstable angina n=53). Patients were divided into two groups (group I: previous use of statins for at least 3 months, n=51; group II: statin-naïve patients, n=138). Blood viscosities at shear rates of 1 s-1 (diastolic blood viscosity; DBV) and 300 s-1 (systolic blood viscosity; SBV) were measured at baseline and one month after statin treatment. Rosuvastatin was administered to patients after enrollment (mean daily dose, 16.2±4.9 mg).
RESULTS
Baseline WBV was significantly higher in group II ([SBV: group I vs group II, 40.8±5.9 mP vs. 44.2±7.4 mP, p=0.003], [DBV: 262.2±67.8 mP vs. 296.9±76.0 mP, p=0.002]). WBV in group II was significantly lower one month after statin treatment ([SBV: 42.0±4.7 mP, p=0.012, DBV: 281.4±52.6 mP, p=0.044]). However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was not associated with WBV in both baseline (SBV: R2=0.074, p=0.326; DBV: R2=0.073, p=0.337) and after one month follow up (SBV: R2=0.104, p=0.265; DBV: R2=0.112, p=0.232).
CONCLUSION
Previous statin medication is an important determinant in lowering WBV in patients with ACS. However, one month of rosuvastatin decreased WBV in statin-naïve ACS patients.

Keyword

Blood viscosity; Rheology; Acute coronary syndrome; Rosuvastatin

MeSH Terms

Acute Coronary Syndrome*
Angina, Unstable
Atherosclerosis
Blood Viscosity*
Cholesterol
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
Lipoproteins
Male
Myocardial Infarction
Prospective Studies
Rheology
Rupture
Rosuvastatin Calcium
Cholesterol
Lipoproteins

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Study population enrollment. ER: emergency room, WBV: whole blood viscosity, PCI: percutaneous coronary intervention.

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  Fig. 2 Baseline and one-month follow-up whole blood viscosities (A: SBV, B: DBV). Both the SBV and DBV of group II were significantly higher than those for group I at admission. However, at the one-month follow-up, only the DBV of group II was significantly higher than that for group I. *p<0.05. SBV: systolic blood viscosity, DBV: diastolic blood viscosity.

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  Fig. 3 Correlation analysis of WBV at admission. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated between WBV and various laboratory factors. Among those factors, hematocrit, RBC aggregation, total protein, albumin, ALT, WBC, glucose, rGT, CRP, AST and HbA1c were significantly correlated with WBV (X-axis is R value). *p<0.05, **p<0.01. WBV: whole blood viscosity, RBC: red blood cell, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, WBC: white blood cell, rGT: gamma glutamyl transferase, CRP: C-reactive protein, AST: aspartate aminotransferase, HbA1c: hemoglobin A1c.

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  Fig. 4 Correlation analysis of WBV at one-month follow-up. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated between WBV and various laboratory factors. Among those factors, hematocrit, albumin, RBC aggregation, ALT, total protein, rGT, CRP, glucose and WBC were significantly correlated with WBV (X-axis is R value). *p<0.05, **p<0.01. WBV: whole blood viscosity, RBC: red blood cell, ALT: alanine aminotransferase, rGT: gamma glutamyl transferase, WBC: white blood cell.

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