PURPOSE Prospective cohort studies support the hypothesis that statin drug users have a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer. Whether statin drug use influences the risk of screen detected disease is less clear, possibly because of complex detection biases. Thus, we investigated this association in a setting in which men had low baseline serum prostate specific antigen concentration and wer...

PURPOSE We investigated the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)- inhibitor, statin, and beta-blocker usage before coronary bypass surgery (CABG) on vascular reactivity of the internal mammary artery (IMA). METHODS Patients, who underwent elective CABG were evaluated. Samples of IMA obtained from 22 patients were divided into 4 groups in respect of drugs used by patients before bypas...

cardiovascular disease (cvd) due to atherosclerosis is the foremost cause of premature mortality and of disability-adjusted life years (dalys) in developed and developing countries (1).  the associated mortality is  preventable through treatment of dyslipidemia (2). over half of the first chd events and 3/4 of chd deaths are preventable by controlling the risk factors, including diet, exercise,...

Statins are widely used drugs to lower cholesterol levels and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it has been reported that statins are associated with adverse side effects of skeletal myopathy. Statin treatment can impair mitochondrial function and induce apoptosis in skeletal muscle in both human and animal models. Ubiquinone plays an essential role in transferring electron...

The capacity of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors to delay progression of diabetic nephropathy depends on the time at which therapy is started. A multimodal intervention is required to afford renoprotection in overt diabetic nephropathy. Here we assessed the effects of maximal RAS inhibition by angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor plus angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker (AR...

The MEKK3/MEK5/ERK5 signaling axis is required for cardiovascular development in vivo. We analyzed the physiological role of ERK5 in cardiac endothelial cells and the consequence of activation of this kinase by the statin class of HMG Co-A reductase inhibitor drugs. We utilized human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) and altered ERK5 expression using siRNA mediated gene silencing...

AIMS Evidence from animal studies suggests that statin medications should not be taken during pregnancy. Our aim was to examine the association between the use of statins in early pregnancy and the incidence of congenital anomalies. METHODS A population-based pregnancy registry was built. Three study groups were assembled: women prescribed statins in the first trimester (group A), fibrate/nic...