Abstract
Background: In the era of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening, pharmacotherapies to attenuate AAA growth are sought. HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors (statins) have pleiotropic actions independent of their lipid lowering effects and have been suggested as potential treatment for small AAAs. We systematically review the clinical evidence for this effect. Methods: Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1950-2011) were searched for studies reporting data on the role of statin therapy on AAA growth rate. No language restrictions were placed on the search. References of retrieved articles and pertinent journals were hand searched. Included studies were reviewed by 2 independent observers. The search retrieved 164 papers, 100 were irrelevant based on their title, 47 were reviews and 1 was a letter. 8 studies were excluded based on review of their abstract leaving 8 for inclusion in the study. Results: Eight observational clinical studies with a total of 4,466 patients were reviewed. Four studies demonstrated reduced AAA expansion in statin users while 4 studies failed to demonstrate this effect. The method of determining AAA growth rates varied significantly between the studies and the ability of many studies to control for misclassification bias was poor. Conclusions: The claim that statins attenuate AAA growth remains questionable. Further prospective studies with stringent identification and verification of statin usage and a standardised method of estimating AAA growth rates are required. Statin type and dose also merit consideration.
Keywords: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, aneurysm, expansion, growth, statin.
Current Vascular Pharmacology
Title:Statins: The Holy Grail of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Growth Attenuation? A Systematic Review of the Literature
Volume: 12 Issue: 1
Author(s): Jonathan A. Dunne, Marc A. Bailey, Kathryn J. Griffin, Soroush Sohrabi, Patrick A. Coughlin and D. Julian A. Scott
Affiliation:
Keywords: Abdominal aortic aneurysm, aneurysm, expansion, growth, statin.
Abstract: Background: In the era of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening, pharmacotherapies to attenuate AAA growth are sought. HMG Co-A reductase inhibitors (statins) have pleiotropic actions independent of their lipid lowering effects and have been suggested as potential treatment for small AAAs. We systematically review the clinical evidence for this effect. Methods: Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1950-2011) were searched for studies reporting data on the role of statin therapy on AAA growth rate. No language restrictions were placed on the search. References of retrieved articles and pertinent journals were hand searched. Included studies were reviewed by 2 independent observers. The search retrieved 164 papers, 100 were irrelevant based on their title, 47 were reviews and 1 was a letter. 8 studies were excluded based on review of their abstract leaving 8 for inclusion in the study. Results: Eight observational clinical studies with a total of 4,466 patients were reviewed. Four studies demonstrated reduced AAA expansion in statin users while 4 studies failed to demonstrate this effect. The method of determining AAA growth rates varied significantly between the studies and the ability of many studies to control for misclassification bias was poor. Conclusions: The claim that statins attenuate AAA growth remains questionable. Further prospective studies with stringent identification and verification of statin usage and a standardised method of estimating AAA growth rates are required. Statin type and dose also merit consideration.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Dunne A. Jonathan, Bailey A. Marc, Griffin J. Kathryn, Sohrabi Soroush, Coughlin A. Patrick and Scott Julian A. D., Statins: The Holy Grail of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Growth Attenuation? A Systematic Review of the Literature, Current Vascular Pharmacology 2014; 12 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016111201140327165406
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016111201140327165406 |
Print ISSN 1570-1611 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6212 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Ischemic Cardiovascular Diseases: Mechanisms, Diagnosis and Therapy
Ischemic cardiovascular disease includes myocardial infarction, coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, angina pectoris, etc., constitute the leading cause of patient mortality by preventing tissues from getting sufficient oxygen and nutrients. Ischemic heart disease, as a clinical condition, is characterized by myocardial ischemia, causing an imbalance between myocardial blood supply and demand, ...read more
TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN CHRONIC AND END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease still remains the leading cause of death in Chronic and End Stage Kidney Disease, accounting for more than half of all deaths in dialysis patients. During the past decade, research has been focused on novel therapeutic agents that might delay or even reverse cardiovascular disease and vascular calcification, ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Myocardial Infarction Following Atherosclerosis in Murine Models
Current Drug Targets Drug Therapy for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Utilizing Omega-3 Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives
Current Drug Targets Pharmacological Inhibition of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase in Cardiovascular Disorders: Future Directions
Current Vascular Pharmacology Cerebral Aneurysm Formation in Nitric Oxide Synthase-3 Knockout Mice
Current Neurovascular Research Development of Tissue Engineered Vascular Grafts
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Unraveling the Action Mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Tang (BYHWT) for Cerebral Ischemia by Systematic Pharmacological Methodology
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Transseptal Access to the Left Atrium: Tips and Tricks to Keep it Safe Derived from Single Operator Experience and Review of the Literature
Current Cardiology Reviews Moderate Hypothermia in the Management of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Good Idea Proved Ineffective?
Current Pharmaceutical Design MutS Homologues hMSH4 and hMSH5: Genetic Variations, Functions, and Implications in Human Diseases
Current Genomics Using Extracellular Matrix-Derived Peptides to Alter the Microenvironment for Myocardial Repair
Current Vascular Pharmacology TGF Beta Inhibition for Cancer Therapy
Current Cancer Drug Targets Late-Onset Glycogen Storage Disease Type 2
Current Molecular Medicine The Cardiologist in the Periphery: Indications and Usefulness of Peripheral Artery Invasive Angiography in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography
Current Medical Imaging Therapeutic Potential of Modulating MicroRNA in Peripheral Artery Disease
Current Vascular Pharmacology Current Management of Traumatic Rupture of the Descending Thoracic Aorta
Current Cardiology Reviews Ruptured Bronchial Artery Aneurysm Treated With Aortic Stent Graft and Aneurysm Embolization
Current Medical Imaging Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in Children
Current Pediatric Reviews Molecular Targets and Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Recent Patents on Cardiovascular Drug Discovery Extracts and Flavonoids of <i>Passiflora</i> Species as Promising Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Substances
Current Pharmaceutical Design Pathophysiological Implications of Dipeptidyl Peptidases
Current Protein & Peptide Science