Effects of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipid profile in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Objective: To evaluate and compare the effects on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and lipid profile of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Materials and methods: A total of 40 subjects with 20 in each group were randomly allocated to two groups. Group 1 patients received atorvastatin and that of Group 2 rosuvastatin treatment for 6 months. The patients were administered atorvastatin (40-80 mg) and rosuvastatin(10-40 mg) in accordance to their LDL-C status as per NCEP-ATP III guidelines. The parameters studied were, hs-CRP and lipid profile comprising LDL-C, HDL-C, TG and TC.

Results: Results obtained from the study, clearly indicate that atorvastatin (A) as well as rosuvastatin(R) have significant effect on lowering of hs-CRP levels (for A P=0.001; for R P=0.002), reducing LDL-C levels (for A P=0.008; for R P=0.001), elevating HDL-C levels (for A P=0.02; for R P=0.001) along with reducing TC (for A P=0.003; for R P=0.002) and TG (for A P=0.000; for R P=0.000) levels in obese T2DM patients. It is also seen that there is no significant (P>0.05) difference in effect of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in lowering of hs-CRP levels, elevating HDL-C levels and reducing TG levels in obese T2DM patients. However, percentage lowering of LDL-C (P=0.000) and TC (P=0.001) by rosuvastatin is to a greater extent than that caused by atorvastatin in these patients.

Conclusions: Thus this study throws light on the fact that rosuvastatin should be preferred over atorvastatin in obese T2DM patients in whom LDL-C and TC levels are deviated from normal reference values. In rest of obese T2DM either of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin can be employed to lower hs-CRP levels, to elevate HDL-C levels or to reduce TG levels.