Effect of Rosuvastatin Therapy in Patients With Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Inclusion criteria: * Stable COPD patients of both genders with no COPD exacerbations less than three weeks prior to inclusion * COPD stage I to IV after the GOLD criteria (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) * Age between 40 and 80 years Exclusion criteria: * Diagnosed lung disease other than COPD, except chronic asthmatic bronchitis and mild bronchiectasis without or few physical signs (diagnosed by high resolution CT) * History of or active coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular or peripheral vascular disease * History of or clinically significant congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, clinically significant arrhythmias or conduction delays * History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (defined as blood pressure above180/110 mmHg with or without the use of antihypertensive medication) * Body mass index \>40kg/m2 * History of diabetes mellitus, measured fasting glucose \> 11 mmol/L * History of Hypercholesterolemia, measured total cholesterol \> 8 mmol/L * Known poliomyelitis, motor neurone disease, cranial or temporal arteritis, stroke or myopathy * Neutropenia, anemia (Hb \< 8 g/100mL) * History of chronic renal failure, serum creatinine \> 176 micromol/L (2.0mg/dL) * Creatine kinase \> 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) * Acute or chronic liver disease (serum transaminases \> 3 times the ULN) * Pregnancy (oral examination and blood test prior to inclusion) * Active abuse of drugs or alcohol, poor compliance anticipated * Statin use within the last 4 weeks prior to study start or previously clear indication for statin use * Prior diagnosis of statin induced myopathy or hypersensitivity reaction to another hydroxymethylglutaryl-Coenzyme A-reductase inhibitor incl. Rosuvastatin * History of malignant disease of any kind within 5 years prior to inclusion. * History of uncontrolled hypothyroidism * Participation in another pharmaceutical or medical device clinical trial study less than 4 weeks prior inclusion. * Use concomitant of medications that are known to interact with Crestor. This includes the following medications: Warfarin and other coumarin (vitamin K antagonist) anticoagulants, Cyclosporin, Gemfibrozil and Antacid