The effect of atorvastatin on serum lipoproteins in acromegaly

Objective Acromegaly is associated with long‐term adverse effects on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Reducing growth hormone secretion improves well‐being and symptoms, but may not significantly improve the lipoprotein profile. An additional approach to cardiovascular risk reduction in acromegaly may therefore be to target lipoprotein metabolism directly. In this study we investigated the effect of statin treatment. Design Double blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover study of the effects on circulating lipoproteins of atorvastatin 10 mg daily vs. placebo. Each treatment was given for 3 months in random order. Subjects Eleven patients with acromegaly. Measurements Lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins, enzyme activity and calculated cardiovascular risk. Results Atorvastatin treatment compared to placebo resulted in a significant decrease in serum cholesterol (5·85 ± 1·04 mmol/l vs. 4·22 ± 0·69 mmol/l; mean ± SD; P