The Changes of High Sensitive C-reactive Protein by Atorvastatin 20 mg in Acute Ischemic Stroke

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 25(1); 2007 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2007;25(1): 70-74.

급성 뇌경색 환자에서 Atorvastatin 20 mg 투여 후 high sensitive C-reactive protein의 변화

조희영, 박민정 차재관

동아대학교 의과대학 신경과학교실

The Changes of High Sensitive C-reactive Protein by Atorvastatin 20 mg in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Hee-Young Jo

Department Neurology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University

Abstract

Background: The pathophysiology of resting tremor in Parkinsons disease (PD) remains unclear. Dopaminergic treatment provides variable effects on resting tremor in PD. We aimed to evaluate the predictable clinical factors for the levodopa responsiveness of resting tremor in patients with PD.
Methods: Eighty-five PD patients with prominent resting tremor who visited Asan Medical Center between June 2004 and June 2005 were included. The prominent resting tremor was defined as tremor scoring more than 3 in at least one limb in the Unified Parkinsons Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Subjects were divided into the responsive group (RG) or non-responsive group (NRG) according to the responsiveness of resting tremor to dopaminergic treatment. Responsiveness was defined as a minimum 2 points reduction of UPDRS score for the resting tremor after dopaminergic treatment for more than 3 months.
Results: Among the 85 patients, there were 35 men and 50 women ages 34-87 years (mean age, 67 years). Thirty-six patients (42.4%) were grouped into RG and 49 (57.6%) into NRG. Mean age of RG was significantly younger than that of NRG. RG showed significantly higher initial UPDRS part III subtotal score (p=0.015) and more severe Hoehn & Yahr stage (p=0.010) than those of NRG. UPDRS subscores for rigidity (p=0.012), bradykinesia (p=0.021) and postural impairment (p=0.018) were correlated with the responsiveness of dopaminergic treatment. Background: It has been reported that early prescription of statin might enhance the vascular protection in acute atherothrombosis by its various mechanisms. However, until now, there has been little information about the serial changes of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), one of the notable inflammatory markers in atherothrombosis, by early prescription of statin in acute ischemic stroke.
Methods: We retrospectively collected one hundred eighteen (118) patients with acute ischemic stroke who had conformed to the Atherosclerotic Stroke Mechanism Algorithm (ASMA), one of the guidelines for statin, and evaluated the effects of Atorvastatin 20 mg on the changes of hs-CRP levels and clinical severity at 7 days and 30 days after ischemic events.
Results: Among the 118 patients who should have been prescribed statin on the ASMA guideline, sixty-three patients (53.4%) used the statin (Atorvastatin 20 mg) within 48 hrs after admission. Serum concentration of hs-CRP levels was decreased from admission to 30 days later in both statin and non-statin users. Particularly, its extent was significant (0.39±0.74 vs 0.75±0.98 mg%, p=0.042) after 30 days of ischemic events in statin users. Statin users had lower mortality and vascular recurrence (p=0.083) and fewer bad prognosis rates (27.7% vs. 34.5%) compared to non-statin users over 30 dyas after ischemic events, although there was no statistical significance.
Conclusions: These results suggest that early prescription of statin (Atorvastatin 20 mg) might regulate the inflammatory activity over 30 days after acute ischemic stroke.KeyWords:Statin, Inflammation, C-reactive protein