Conclusions: These data indicate that, while these agents significantly and equally reduce the LDL cholesterol levels, atorvastatin and pitavastatin have different effects on inflammation, insulin resistance, and the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with dyslipidemia.

Background:Nitrates have been widely used as anti-ischemic drugs in patients with vasospastic angina (VSA). However, the effect of long-term nitrate treatment on cardiac events in VSA patients remains unclear. Methods and Results:Two-hundred and thirty-one patients with VSA who had not been receiving any antiischemic drugs, including calcium channel blockers (CCBs), nitrates, nicorandil, or any combination of these medications were prospectively enrolled in the present study. All patients had a positive acetylcholine provocation test with normal coronary angiograms, and they received CCBs after enrollment. They were divided into 2 groups based on whether nitrates were included in the treatment: a nitrate group (n=86) and a without nitrate group (n=145). The baseline clinical characteristics and frequency of anginal attacks within 48 h before enrollment were similar between the 2 groups. With a median follow-up period of 70.5 months, 29 patients developed cardiac events, including 7 sudden cardiac deaths and 22 re-admissions for acute coronary syndrome. Cardiac events occurred in 19.8% of the nitrate group and in only 8.3% of the patients who were not taking nitrates (P=0.015). In a multivariate analysis, long-term nitrate treatment (hazard ratio 5.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.69-15.89, P=0.004) was an independent predictor of cardiac events. Conclusions:These data indicate that long-term nitrate treatment in addition to CCBs might not reduce cardiac events in VSA patients. (Circ J 2011; 75: 2196 - 2205

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These data indicate that the upregulation of monocyte TF activity is significantly associated with CIMT in MS patients.

SummaryA recent study showed that statins reduce cardiovascular events in stable coronary artery disease patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, it remains unclear whether acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with CKD benefit from statins. A total of 501 patients with ACS who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention were investigated and CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/minute/1.73 m 2 at discharge. Three hundred and twenty-four of 501 patients (64.7%) had CKD and 173 patients (34.5%) received statins. The patients with CKD were older and had higher blood pressure than those without CKD. With a mean follow-up of 5.2 years, irrespective of treatment assignment, 74 patients with CKD experienced cardiac events (22.8%) in comparison to 25 without CKD (14.1%, HR 1.81; 95% CI 1.15-2.84, P = 0.0095). Cardiac events occurred in only 18 of the patients with CKD treated with statins (16.2%) and in 56 of those treated with CKD without statins (26.3%, HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.34-0.98, P = 0.039), whereas, no significant reduction of the events was observed in the patients without CKD treated with statins versus without having statins (P = 0.130). These data indicate that statin therapy reduces cardiac events in ACS patients with CKD. (Int Heart J 2010; 51: 312-318)