The effect of atorvastatin and simvastatin on vitamin D, oxidative stress and inflammatory marker concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes: a crossover study.

The pleiotropic effect of statins may be mediated in part through raising 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25OHD) concentrations. It has also been shown that an increase in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers are a feature of the patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A cross-over study of 26 patients with T2DM taking either simvastatin 40 mg or atorvastatin 10 mg was undertaken. After 3 months on one statin, lipids, C-reactive protein (hsCRP), 25OHD and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured repeatedly. The same procedure was then followed taking the other statin. Despite similar lipid-lowering, the mean 25OHD was higher on atorvastatin compared with simvastatin and the mean MDA and hsCRP levels lower, irrespective of which statin the patients were taking before crossover. The changes in 25OHD predicted changes in CRP and MDA levels. Thus, compared with simvastatin, atorvastatin shows apparently beneficial pleiotropic effects with respect to 25OHD concentrations as well as markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with T2DM.