Effect of atorvastatin on bone mineral density in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effect of atorvastatin on bone mineral density in patients with acute ischemic heart disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-three patients (52 male and 31 female) with acute coronary syndrome were studied. They received treatment with atorvastatin using low doses (20 mg) and high doses (40 mg-80 mg). Initial and final cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D were obtained from every patient. Spine and hip bone mineral density were performed at the beginning and one year later. RESULTS: Atorvastatin treatment increases vitamin D (33%, p = 0.007) and decreases the individuals with vitamin D insufficiency. Bone mineral density increased in the spine (1.31%, p = 0.02), but it was significant only in male and patients presenting vitamin D levels higher than 30 nmol/l. CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin has a beneficial effect on bone metabolism in patients with acute ischemic heart disease (mainly males) by incrementing bone mineral density in which vitamin D levels are required to be higher than 30 nmol/l for the drug to be effective.