Although statins reduce cardiac events in hypertensive patients with cardiovascular risk factors, the effect of statins on coronary flow reserve (CFR) has not been examined in such patients. The investigators hypothesize that pitavastatin added to standard antihypertensive therapy will be superior to placebo in improving CFR in hypertensive patients with cardiovascular risk, and try to examine this hypothesis in a double-blind, randomized comparison study using Doppler echocardiography.
Statin treatment improves coronary flow reserve (CFR) and decreases cardiac morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and hypercholesterolemia. Endothelial dysfunction and impairment in coronary microcirculation is also observed in hypertensive patients with cardiovascular risk factors. However, the measurement of CFR has rarely been performed in hypertensive patients without CAD, because CFR could be invasively measured using a Doppler guide wire in a cardiac catheterization laboratory. Recent advances in echocardiographic imaging techniques have made it possible to measure coronary flow velocity and CFR, which highly correlates with the CFR measured by invasive means. Lipid lowering with a statin provided beneficial effects in patients with average levels of serum total cholesterol in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Lipid Lowering Arm (ASCOT-LLA) study conducted in hypertensive patients at cardiovascular risk. Improvements in endothelial dysfunction and CFR may be related to the beneficial effects of statins in hypertensive patients without hypercholesterolemia, but the effect of statins on CFR has not been examined in such patients. Accordingly, the investigators try to examine the hypothesis that pitavastatin added to standard antihypertensive therapy in hypertensive patients with cardiovascular risk will be superior to placebo in improving CFR in a double-blind, randomized comparison study using Doppler echocardiography.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
85
statin
Life style modification alone
Asan Medical Center
Seoul, South Korea
change in the CFR value
Change of coronary flow velocity reserve from baseline to 1 year follow-up. For each patient, the averaged value of coronary flow velocity reserve will be obtained at baseline and 1 year follow-up.
Time frame: 12 months
Difference in mean CFR value
DIfference in CFR value at 12 month follow-up between pitavastatin and placebo arm
Time frame: 12 months
change of CRP
Change of CRP from baseline to 1 year follow-up.
Time frame: 12 months
Change of LDL-cholesterol
Change of LDL-cholesterol from baseline to 1 year follow-up.
Time frame: 12 months
Change of averaged peak diastolic velocity
Change of averaged peak diastolic velocity from baseline to study end.
Time frame: 12 months
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