Rosuvastatin Effect on Telomere-telomerase System in ACS

Xiao-dong Zhuang400 enrolled

Overview

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the diseases characterised by biological aging as one of the important risk factors in several epidemiological studies. The mean telomere length and telomerase activity serve as markers for the biological age at the cellular level, with shorter telomeres and lower telomerase activity defining the increased biological age. Telomere length and telomerase activity, therefore, correlates with the risk of CHD and atherosclerosis. A present study states that the treatment with a statin is associated with a reduction in the number of clinical events but only in individuals with increased risk based on their telomere length. This suggests a positive relationship of telomere and telomerase system with the treatment with statins in CHD patients.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is identified as one of the diseases characterised by biological aging as one of the important risk factors in several epidemiological studies. Premature biological aging is distinct from chronological aging and may predispose the individual to myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis and CHD in particular. The mean telomere length and telomerase activity serve as markers for the biological age at the cellular level, with shorter telomeres and lower telomerase activity defining the increased biological age. Telomere length and telomerase activity, therefore, correlates with the risk of CHD and atherosclerosis. Statins serve as the drugs of obvious choice based on their well established efficacy and safety profiles for the treatment of CHD and associated atherosclerosis. A present clinical study states that the treatment with a statin is associated with a reduction in the number of clinical events but only in individuals with increased risk based on their telomere length. This suggests a positive relationship of telomere and telomerase system with the risk of CHD and, therefore, would help clinicians to categorise the patient populations based on their leucocyte telomere length for treatment with statins.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Subjects with ACS, planing for PCI treatment * Male or females who are 18-80years of age * No current or previous statin therapy * No current indication for statin therapy (Coronary artery disease; hypercholesterolemia, renal dysfunction) * Subjects who have given their signed consent to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Patient \< 18 or \> 80 years * Renal dysfunction * Hyperlipidemia * Active myositis * All forms of liver disease * Pregnancy * Breastfeeding * Patients being treated with other type statin

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change from baseline in telomere length after different dose statin treatment

telomere length of circulating leukocyte will be measured by Southern blot test before and after treatment

Time frame: baseline; 4 and 24 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Change from baseline in telomerase activity after different dose statin treatment

telomerase activity of circulating leukocyte will be measured by Southern blot test before and after treatment

Time frame: baseline; 4 and 24 weeks

PCI-related myocardial infarction (MI)

PCI related myocardial infarction is defined by the third Universal definition of myocardial infarction

Time frame: PCI-related MI will be assesed within 24 hours after the end of the coronary artery stenting procedure