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Curr Vasc Pharmacol

Introduction : Statins, the mainstay of lipid-lowering therapy, are among the most commonly used drugs due to their beneficial effects in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Simvastatin, one of the most well-studied statins, is available in several generic forms both as monotherapy and with ezetimibe and is frequently prescribed worldwide. Despite its overall favorable risk profile, several previously stated concerns regarding high-dose simvastatin were recently formalized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Areas covered : This paper discusses the interactions between simvastatin and other drugs and presents the latest FDA recommendations regarding the safe use of this statin. Relevant articles were identified through a PubMed search (up to December 2011). Furthermore, the latest FDA warning (June 2011) regarding simvastatin use was taken into account. Expert opinion : Simvastatin may have serious side effects particularly when used in high doses and in combination with certain drugs. Physicians need to adjust the recent recommendations made by the FDA in clinical practice in order to prevent treatment complications. Expert Opin Drug Saf

We investigated the association between retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP(4)) and apolipoprotein B (ApoB)-containing lipoproteins. Obese or overweight, hypertriglyceridemic patients underwent the following interventions for 3 months: (1) Diet (n = 20), (2) Diet + fenofibrate (n = 18), (3) Diet + rimonabant (n = 8). Circulating RBP4 decreased during dietary treatment. The percentage change in RBP(4) was positively correlated with the percentage changes in very-low density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = .570, P = .02), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ([LDL-C]; r = .605, P = .01), ApoB (r = .705, P = .007), and small dense LDL-C ([sdLDL-C]; r = .872, P < .001). The percentage change in RBP4 was the best predictor of the percentage changes in sdLDL-C and ApoB. Rimonabant treatment reduced RBP4, whereas fenofibrate increased RBP4 during the first month of therapy followed by a subsequent decrease. In conclusion, RBP4 may significantly influence the metabolic pathways responsible for changes in ApoB lipoprotein subspecies, thus RBP4 may be associated with cardiovascular disease risk. Angiology

Background: Low levels of 25(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)VitD] have been recognized as a new cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor. Statins seem to increase 25(OH)VitD concentration. Aim: To investigate whether combined treatment with the usual dose of rosuvastatin plus fenofibrate or omega-3 fatty acids would increase 25(OH)VitD levels compared with the high-dose rosuvastatin monotherapy in participants with mixed dislipidemia. Methods: We randomly allocated 60 patients with mixed dyslipidemia (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: >160 mg/dL plus triglycerides: >200 mg/dL) to receive rosuvastatin 40 mg (n = 22), rosuvastatin 10 mg plus fenofibrate 200 mg (n = 21), or rosuvastatin 10 mg plus omega-3 fatty acids 2 g (n = 17) daily for 3 months. Our primary end point was changes in the levels of serum 25(OH)VitD. Results: Rosuvastatin monotherapy was associated with a 53% increase in 25(OH)VitD (from 14.6 [1.0-38.0] to 17.8 [5.3-49.6] ng/mL; P = .000). Rosuvastatin plus micronized fenofibrate and rosuvastatin plus omega-3 fatty acids were associated with increases of 64% (from 14.1 [1.0-48.0] to 18.4 [6.7-52.4] ng/mL, P = .001) and 61% (from 10.4 [6.6-38.4] to 14.0 [9.6-37.6] ng/mL, P = .04), respectively. The changes in 25(OH)VitD after treatment were comparable in the 3 groups. Conclusion: High-dose rosuvastatin monotherapy and the usual dose of rosuvastatin plus fenofibrate or omega-3 fatty acids are associated with significant and similar increases in the 25(OH)VitD levels. This increase may be relevant in terms of CVD risk prevention. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther

Objective: Diabetic patients are at risk of macro- and micro-vascular complications, including diabetic nephropathy, and have difficulties in achieving blood pressure (BP) goals. Aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, inhibits the first step of the renin angiotensin aldosterone system. We aimed to systematically address the relevant evidence on the effects of aliskiren in diabetic individuals. Methods: We considered randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating aliskiren in diabetic patients. Information was recorded independently by 2 investigators. We were limited to trials published in English. Results: PubMed search retrieved 16 items. After excluding 12, we ended with 4 eligible studies with 1488 participants. Mean baseline BP levels were 143/82 mmHg and median follow up was 2 months. Aliskiren was compared against angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) or aliskiren plus ACE inhibitor/ARB in 2 studies and against placebo in the other 2. The most frequent indication for aliskiren therapy was diabetes plus hypertension and albuminuria. Aliskiren seems to be effective in reducing BP levels, albuminuria in diabetics, either as monotherapy (compared with placebo), or in addition to ACE inhibitors/ARB (compared with monotherapy), without any major safety considerations. Conclusions: There are promising results on the effect of aliskiren in diabetic patients, but the available evidence is limited so far. This is a poorly investigated field with few RCTs and new studies focusing on "hard" outcomes are needed. Curr Vasc Pharmacol