Short-Term Treatment With Atorvastatin Reduces Platelet CD40 Ligand and Thrombin Generation in Hypercholesterolemic Patients

Abstract

This study shows that, in hypercholesterolemia, platelet overexpression of CD40L may account for enhanced plasma levels of sCD40L and F1+2. Atorvastatin exerts a direct antithrombotic effect via inhibition of platelet CD40L and CD40L-mediated thrombin generation, independently of its cholesterol-lowering effect.