A clinical trial has explored the use of atorvastatin, a common medication used to lower cholesterol, in delaying the progression of blood vessel stiffness in hemodialysis patients.
Arterial stiffness is defined as the hardening of the blood vessels due to age or disease. It is a common complication of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal failure, and it can lead to a range of cardiovascular problems, such as heart disease and stroke. Hemodialysis patients are particularly at risk of developing arterial stiffness due to their impaired kidney function.
In chronic kidney disease patients, reducing arterial stiffness is associated with improved survival. Many drugs have been studied to improve arterial stiffness with variable degrees of success including antihypertensive medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, endothelin-1 antagonists, antioxidants, immunosuppressive drugs, and statins.
Statins are drugs that are used to lower blood cholesterol levels. They generally have a beneficial effect on the heart and blood vessels. Their use is well documented in patients with diabetes, hypertension, and elevated blood fat levels however, clinical data on their use in kidney disease is deficient.
A clinical trial was published that aimed to investigate the potential benefits of atorvastatin in delaying the progression of arterial stiffness in dialysis patients.
The researchers recruited 50 chronic kidney disease patients undergoing regular dialysis and divided them into two groups: a treatment group that received atorvastatin for six months, and a control group that did not receive the medication. The researchers measured the participants' arterial stiffness at the beginning of the study and again at the end of the six-month treatment period.