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Research: NOZUE and COLLEAGUES,
Listed in Issue 227
Abstract
NOZUE and COLLEAGUES, (1)Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yokohama Sakae Kyosai Hospital, Federation of National Public Service Personnel Mutual Associations, 132 Katsura-cho, Sakae-ku, Yokohama 247-8581, Japan. nozue2493@yahoo.co.jp evaluated determinants of atheroma progression in statin-treated patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).
Background
Diabetes mellitus (DM) accelerates plaque progression despite the use of statin therapy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the determinants of atheroma progression in statin-treated patients with DM.
Methodology
Coronary atherosclerosis in nonculprit lesions in a vessel undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was evaluated using virtual histology intravascular ultrasound. The study included 50 patients with DM who had been taking statin therapy for 8 months at the time of PCI.
Results
Twenty-six patients (52%) showed atheroma progression (progressors) and the remaining 24 patients (48%) showed atheroma regression (regressors) after 8 months of follow-up. Fewer progressors than regressors received intensive lipid-lowering therapy with pitavastatin (31% vs. 50%, p = 0.17) and the frequency of insulin use was higher in progressors (31% vs. 13%, p = 0.18). However, neither of these differences reached statistical significance. Risk factor control at baseline and at the 8-month follow-up did not differ between the 2 groups except for serum levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Univariate regression analysis showed that serum EPA (r = -0.317, p = 0.03) and DHA (r = -0.353, p = 0.02) negatively correlated with atheroma progression. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis showed that low serum DHA and pravastatin use were significant independent predictors for atheroma progression during statin therapy (DHA: β = -0.414, type of statin: β = -0.287, p = 0.001).
Conclusion
Low serum docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with progression of coronary atherosclerosis in statin-treated patients with DM. Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, UMIN ID: C000000311.
References
Nozue T(1), Yamamoto S, Tohyama S, Fukui K, Umezawa S, Onishi Y, Kunishima T, Sato A, Nozato T, Miyake S, Takeyama Y, Morino Y, Yamauchi T, Muramatsu T, Hibi K, Terashima M, Michishita I. Low serum docosahexaenoic acid is associated with progression of coronary atherosclerosis in statin-treated patients with diabetes mellitus: results of the treatment with statin on atheroma regression evaluated by intravascular ultrasound with virtual histology (TRUTH) study. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 13:13. Jan 13 2014 doi: 10.1186/1475-2840-13-13.
Comment
This research demonstrates that for diabetics, low levels of docosahexaenoic acid DHA is associated with progression of heart disease even with statins.
