Impact of 10 mg rosuvastatin daily or alternate-day on lipid profile and inflammatory markers.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 21983163 · doi:10.1016/j.cca.2011.09.006
What was done
Thirty-seven patients with dyslipidemia were randomized to alternate-day rosuvastatin (10 mg every other day, n=19) or once-daily rosuvastatin (10 mg every day, n=18) for 6 weeks. The primary endpoints were changes in serum concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
What was found
LDL-C decreased by 37.5% in the once-daily group and by 36.9% in the alternate-day group (p>0.05). Both regimens showed similar improvement in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, but numerical values were not reported in the abstract. CRP decreased by 18.3% with once-daily dosing and by 16.7% with alternate-day dosing (p>0.05). Plasma IL-6 concentration changes were also similar between groups (p>0.05, numerical values omitted).
Why it matters
Alternate-day rosuvastatin dosing may achieve lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects similar to daily dosing, potentially lowering medication costs and improving patient compliance.
Limits
The sample size was very small (n=37) and underpowered for non-inferiority or equivalence testing. The follow-up duration was short (6 weeks), clinical outcomes and adverse effects were not reported, and numeric data for HDL-C, triglycerides, and IL-6 were omitted from the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Studies by Paul Ridker and others have shown that low doses of statins taken intermittently (such as 5 mg every other day or twice a week) significantly reduce vascular inflammation.