The effect of rosuvastatin treatment on the mean platelet volume in patients with uncontrolled primary dyslipidemia with hypolipidemic diet treatment

Platelet activation and aggregation are central processes in the pathophysiology of coronary heart disease. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a determinant of platelet activation, is a newly emerging risk marker for atherothrombosis. Rosuvastatin, a new hydrophilic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (statin), is approved as an adjunct to diet in patients with dyslipidemia. In this study, we evaluated the effects of rosuvastatin on the MPV levels in patients with uncotrolled primary dyslipidemia with hypolipidemic treatment. We selected 30 age, sex and body mass index matched patients with uncontrolled primary dyslipidemia and hypolipidemic diet treatment and 30 normolipidemic healthy subjects. Dyslipidemic patients were treated with 10 mg/day rosuvastatin for 12 weeks. Metabolic parameters and MPV were measured at baseline and after rosuvastatin treatment in dyslipidemic group. At baseline, the dyslipidemic group had significantly higher MPV levels than in the healthy control group (8.4 +/- 1.2 fl vs. 8.1 +/- 1.0 fl, p< 0.005). The level of MPV decreased significantly after rosuvastatin treatment from a mean of 8.4 +/- 1.2 fl to 8.1 +/- 1.3 fl, (p< 0.001). The changes in MPV levels with rosuvastatin treatment were not correlated to changes in plasma lipids (p>0.05). In addition to its well-known hypolipidemic effect, rosuvastatin also possesses significant anti-platelet activation properties. This antiplatelet effect of rosuvastatin treatment could play a role in reducing cardiovascular complications in primary hyperlipidemic patients.