Rosuvastatin in hemodialysis: short-term effects on lipids and C-reactive protein

Background: Patients on regular hemodialysis present high cardiovascular mortality. Uremic dyslipidemia and inflammation take part in the etiology of atherosclerosis. Rosuvastatin calcium has not been studied in patients on dialysis to date. We sought to evaluate the results of rosuvastatin therapy regarding lipids, lipoproteins and a marker of inflammation in hemodialysis patients. Methods: In a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial, 59 patients on hemodialysis (31 in the placebo group, and 28 taking rosuvastatin 10 mg/day) were followed for 3 months. Lipids, lipoproteins and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured at baseline, 30 days and 3 months. Results: In the rosuvastatin group, there was a significant decrease from baseline to the study end in total cholesterol (163 +/- 53 mg/dL to 142 +/- 43 mg/dL; p<0.05), in LDL cholesterol (90 +/- 39 mg/dL to 69 +/- 32 mg/dL; p<0.05) and in non-HDL cholesterol (121 +/- 46 mg/dL to 99 +/- 39 mg/dL; p<0.05). In the placebo group, no significant decrease was observed. High-sensitivity CRP was lower in the rosuvastatin than in the placebo group at 3 months (p<0.01). Conclusions: Rosuvastatin calcium at 10 mg/day was effective in lowering total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and hs-CRP in hemodialysis patients.