The place of pitavastatin in cardiovascular treatment and prevention

Abstract

Performed clinical studies have demonstrated a high effectiveness of pitavastatin in small doses, its ability to significantly increase the high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and to low the risk of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) together with good safety profile. These characteristics make pitavastatin attractive for clinical use and give additional advantages in cardiovascular prevention. It has been recently proved by intravascular ultrasound that pitavastatin treatment reduces the volume of coronary arteriosclerotic plaques no worse than atorvastatin, and contributes to their stability. The positive effect of pitavastatin on atherosclerotic plaques has also been confirmed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging of carotid arteries. The results of clinical trials suggest the ability of pitavastatin by its pleiotropic effects to suppress inflammation, decrease lipid oxidation and improve endothelial function, decrease adiposity-associated metabolic changes, and improve glucose metabolism and renal function. This makes pitavastatin to be a good alternative treatment in patients with hypercholesterolemia and combined dyslipidemia, particularly in case of low HDL-C levels and elevated risk of DDIs when polypharmacy treatment is necessary