Beneficial Effects of Cholesterol-Lowering Therapy on the Coronary Endothelium in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Background Impaired endothelium-mediated relaxation contributes to vasospasm and myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease. We hypothesized that cholesterol-lowering therapy with the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl–coenzyme A reductase inhibitor lovastatin could improve endothelium-mediated responses in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Methods In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we studied coronary endothelial responses in 23 patients randomly assigned to either lovastatin (40 mg twice daily; 11 patients) or placebo (12 patients) plus a lipid-lowering diet (American Heart Association Step 1 diet). Patients were studied 12 days after randomization and again at 51/2 months. These patients had total cholesterol levels ranging from 160 to 300 mg per deciliter (4.1 to 7.8 mmol per liter) and were undergoing coronary angioplasty. At the initial and follow-up studies, patients received serial intracoronary infusions (in a coronary artery not undergoing angioplasty) of ac...