Abstract
Statins may reduce cardiovascular risk via mechanisms other than cholesterol reduction alone. This decrease in risk may in part be secondary to pleiotropic effects such as decreased inflammation and improved endothelial function. Statin therapy has been shown to affect the levels of certain plasma markers of inflammation, markers which are predictive of cardiovascular risk and may also play a role in the disease process. This article will review the relationship between inflammatory markers and cardiovascular disease risk and the effects of statins on these markers in subjects without a known history of coronary disease.
MeSH terms
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Biomarkers / blood
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C-Reactive Protein / analysis
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C-Reactive Protein / drug effects
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Female
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Humans
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Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
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Inflammation / blood*
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Inflammation / drug therapy*
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Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / blood
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Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / drug effects
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Interleukin-6 / blood
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Male
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / analysis
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / drug effects
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Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / blood
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Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / drug effects
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Vascular Diseases / blood
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Vascular Diseases / prevention & control
Substances
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Biomarkers
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Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
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Interleukin-6
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
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Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
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Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
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C-Reactive Protein