Comparative Effect of Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin on 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D Levels in Non-diabetic Patients with Dyslipidaemia: A Prospective Randomized Open-label Pilot Study

Low 25-hydroxy-vitamin D [25(ΟΗ)D] levels have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Conflicting data exist regarding the effect of statins on [25(OH)D] levels. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin on 25(OH)D levels in non-diabetic patients with dyslipidaemia. This was a prospective randomized open-label study. Patients were assigned to atorvastatin 20 mg⁄day (n=28, age: 56.1±2.2 years, 22 females) or rosuvastatin 10 mg⁄day (n=24, age: 57.4±1.9 years, 20 females). Total cholesterol (TC), low- (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), fasting plasma glucose, insulin, glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were measured, and homeostatic model of assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated at baseline and 12 weeks post-treatment. There were no within or between group significant differences in 25(OH)D levels (atorvastatin: 21.7±1.9 ng/ml at baseline and 23.5±2.3 ng/ml at week 12; rosuvastatin: 25.3±1.8 and 27.0±2.4 ng/ml, respectively; p=0.172 and p=0.306 for between groups, respectively). Both statins significantly reduced TC, TG and LDL-C levels, with a greater LDL-C reduction being observed by rosuvastatin. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin did not significantly affect 25(OH)D levels in this study.