Rosuvastatin Reduces Plasma Small Dense Ldl-Cholesterol Predominantly in Non-Diabetic Hypercholesterolemic Patients

Aims: Small dense LDL (sdLDL) cholesterol is considered a cardiovascular risk. Our purpose in this study was to evaluate the efficacy of rosuvastatin in reducing sdLDL and large buoyant LDL (lbLDL-C) in hypercholesterolemia. Methods: Fifty-six patients with a mean baseline LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration of 173.9 ± 40.5 mg/dL were treated with rosuvastatin 2.5 mg/day for 12 weeks. LDL-C, sdLDL-C, and apolipoprotein (apo) B were assessed and l lbLDL-C was calculated (LDL-C minus sdLDL-C). Results: After 12-week treatment with rosuvastatin 2.5mg, sdLDL-C and lbLDL-C were significantly reduced from 62.1 ± 23.8 mg/dL to 34.0 ± 13.4 mg/dL, p <0.001 and 112.7 ± 34.9 mg/dL to 77.2± 29.2 mg/dL, p < 0.001 respectively, and sdLDL-C/lbLDL-C ratio and apo B also decreased significantly, from 0.36 ± 0.02 to 0.32 ± 0.02, p < 0.005 and 134.2 ± 4.3 to 93.6 ± 3.5 mg/dl, p < 0.001, respectively. In diabetic subjects there was significant correlation between percent reductions in the plasma triglyceride and sdLDL-C/ lbLDL-C ratio (r = 0.58, p < 0.005), but not between the percentage decrease in plasma triglyceride and sdLDL-C. Conclusions: Treatment with rosuvastatin is associated with significant reduction in sdLDL, lbLDL and sdLDL/lbLDL ratio.