Effects of one year simvastatin and atorvastatin treatments on acute phase reactants in uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of macrovascular diseases and related death. Additionally, diabetes mellitus is frequently complicated by other cardiovascular risk factors, such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, hypercoagulability, and inflammation. We wanted to evaluate and compare the effects of treating with a one-year course of atorvastatin or simvastatin on inflammatory markers such as high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen, and ferritin in uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients. Also, we planned to investigate the correlation between inflammatory markers and metabolic parameters. Fifty type 2 diabetic patients (30 women, 20 men; mean age: 49.9 ± 8.5 years) were enrolled into the study. Twenty healthy subjects, matched on body mass index and age, were also included in the study as a control group. Diabetic patients were divided into two groups and received simvastatin or atorvastatin (Group S and A, respectively). After 1 year of statin treatment (Group A), there were significant decreases in total cholesterol (217.3 ± 46.5–173.8 ± 37.2 mg/dl; P < 0.0001), LDL-cholesterol (146.7 ± 50.3–102.3 ± 31.1 mg/dl, P < 0.0001), hsCRP (0.88 ± 0.62–0.35 ± 0.18 mg/dl, P < 0.0001), fibrinogen (258.2 ± 16.9–215.5 ± 10.6 mg/l; P < 0.0001), and ferritin (118.2 ± 73.9–81.2 ± 72.5 ng/ml, P < 0.0001) levels compared to basal values. In the S group, there were significant decreases in total cholesterol (224.4 ± 61.2–175.0 ± 47.8 mg/dl; P < 0.0001), LDL-cholesterol (140.9 ± 56.7–110.9 ± 42.2 mg/dl, P < 0.0001), hsCRP (0.98 ± 1.3–0.46 ± 0.25 mg/dl, P < 0.0001), fibrinogen (265.7 ± 26.8–222.1 ± 20.6 mg/l; P < 0.0001), and ferritin (136.7 ± 101.1–85.6 ± 32.1 ng/ml, P < 0.0001) levels compared to basal values. At the end of the study, ∆hsCRP, ∆fibrinogen, and ∆ferritin levels were correlated with ∆LDL (r = 0.42; P = 0.005, with ∆hsCRP), (r = 0.40; P = 0.008, with ∆fibrinogen), (r = 0.46; P = 0.002, with ∆ferritin) and ∆HDL (r = −0.50; P < 0.0001, with ∆hsCRP), (r = −0.32; p = 0.042, with ∆fibrinogen), (r = −0.48; P < 0.0001, with ∆ferritin) cholesterol levels. Atorvastatin and simvastatin treatments were found to be effective for the control of hypercholesterolemia and resulted in a significant decrease in acute phase reactants in uncontrolled type 2 diabetic patients.