The Effect of Statins in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a condition of the lungs which results in breathing difficulties due to the lungs becoming inflamed and the airways narrowed. Current treatments have focused on opening up the narrowed airways but, in addition, we know there is increased inflammation in the blood and these patients are at increased risk of heart disease. Statins, simvastatin being one of them, are drugs used to lower cholesterol in the blood but may also reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease. This study will explore whether simvastatin reduces one of the risk factors in patients with COPD in a short term proof of principle study. The key purpose is to determine whether simvastatin improves the pressure and stiffness of the main blood vessels namely the arterial stiffness measure of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV). In parallel, we will describe changes in airways and / or blood inflammation and change in breathing ability

Timeline

Start

2010-06

Primary completion

2013-04

Completion

2013-08

Publications

• John ME, Cockcroft JR, McKeever TM, Coward WR, Shale DJ, Johnson SR, Thornton JG, Harrison TW, Knox AJ, Bolton CE. Cardiovascular and inflammatory effects of simvastatin therapy in patients with COPD: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. 2015 Jan 29;10:211-21. doi: 10.2147/COPD.S76061. eCollection 2015.

Drugs

Indications