Fig. 1Flow diagram of the study patients. LDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol; F/U, follow-up; Premed, before medication; Postmed, after medication.
Table 1General characteristics of the study subjects
Characteristic |
Atorvastatin 10 mg (n=23) |
Atorvastatin 40 mg (n=27) |
P value |
Sex, male:female |
16:7 |
13:14 |
0.126a
|
Age, yr |
56.0±11.4 |
55.2±13.3 |
0.825b
|
Smokers, n
|
6 |
4 |
0.480a
|
SBP, mm Hg |
129.4±12.3 |
130.7±12.1 |
0.708b
|
DBP, mm Hg |
74.0±9.0 |
76.0±11.0 |
0.484b
|
Pulse rate, beat/min |
79.4±12.5 |
81.6±9.4 |
0.486b
|
HTN medication, n
|
5 |
11 |
0.225a
|
Diagnosis, yr |
4.4±5.8 |
5.7±6.4 |
0.461b
|
Height, cm |
163.7±9.9 |
160.9±9.8 |
0.320b
|
Weight, kg |
67.6±13.8 |
68.2±16.7 |
0.889b
|
BMI, kg/m2
|
25.0±3.1 |
26.1 ± 4.6 |
0.326b
|
Table 2Comparison of various clinical factors before and after treatment
Variable |
Atorvastatin 10 mg (n=23) |
Atorvastatin 40 mg (n=27) |
Before |
After |
P valuea
|
Before |
After |
P valuea
|
CPK, U/L |
113.8±94.0 |
131.9±136.0 |
0.459 |
104.0±43.7 |
96.5±46.4 |
0.306 |
AST, IU/L |
22.7±16.0 |
24.2±14.9 |
0.190 |
21.4±9.3 |
21.8±8.4 |
0.647 |
ALT, IU/L |
25.9±19.9 |
26.8±16.6 |
0.312 |
27.0±17.0 |
27.4±14.8 |
0.484 |
Insulin, µIU/mL |
13.6±11.5 |
10.8±8.3 |
0.171 |
21.6±45.6 |
14.3±15.3 |
0.377 |
C-peptide, pmol/mL |
1.1±0.7 |
0.9±0.5 |
0.322 |
1.2±1.1 |
1.0±0.6 |
0.201 |
HbA1c, % |
7.6±1.6 |
7.3±1.2 |
0.235 |
7.3±1.8 |
7.2±1.4 |
0.562 |
Glucose, mg/dL |
158.9±53.0 |
154.2±62.0 |
0.110 |
167.9±75.0 |
144.0±49.0 |
0.053 |
TC, mg/dL |
209.1±30.0 |
148.2±24.1 |
<0.001 |
211.0±22.8 |
132.3±26.2 |
<0.001 |
LDL-C, mg/dL |
138.6±23.9 |
82.7±18.8 |
<0.001 |
139.5±24.2 |
68.0±22.7 |
<0.001 |
HDL-C, mg/dL |
48.7±12.3 |
47.3±10.7 |
0.551 |
46.7±10.6 |
47.6±11.8 |
0.977 |
TG, mg/dL |
181.3±93.1 |
133.7±75.9 |
0.012 |
191.3±117.4 |
129.8±62.6 |
0.001 |
GDF-15, pg/mL |
1,460.6±874.8 |
1,451.0±770.8 |
0.745 |
1,271.6±801.0 |
1,341.4±855.2 |
0.665 |
HOMA-IR |
5.1±4.0 |
4.2±4.8 |
0.463 |
6.5±9.6 |
4.9±4.7 |
0.253 |
hsCRP, mg/dL |
2.6±2.7 |
1.3±1.1 |
0.020 |
2.3±2.6 |
1.0±0.7 |
0.018 |
Table 3Comparison of various clinical factors between the 10 and 40 mg groups before and after treatment
Factor |
Before |
After |
10 mg |
40 mg |
P valuea
|
10 mg |
40 mg |
P valuea
|
CPK, U/L |
113.8±94.0 |
104.0±43.7 |
0.765 |
131.9±136.0 |
96.5±46.4 |
0.368 |
AST, IU/L |
22.7±16.0 |
21.4±9.3 |
0.632 |
24.2±14.9 |
21.8±8.4 |
0.984 |
ALT, IU/L |
25.9±19.9 |
27.0±17.0 |
0.447 |
26.8±16.6 |
27.4±14.8 |
0.572 |
Insulin, µIU/mL |
13.6±11.5 |
21.6±45.6 |
0.624 |
10.8±8.3 |
14.3±15.3 |
0.408 |
C-peptide, pmol/mL |
1.1±0.7 |
1.2±1.1 |
0.794 |
0.9±0.5 |
1.0±0.6 |
0.763 |
HbA1c, % |
7.6±1.6 |
7.3±1.8 |
0.267 |
7.3±1.2 |
7.2±1.4 |
0.606 |
Glucose, mg/dL |
158.9±53.0 |
167.9±75.0 |
0.640 |
154.2±62.0 |
144.0±49.0 |
0.540 |
TC, mg/dL |
209.1±30.0 |
211.0±22.8 |
0.654 |
148.2±24.1 |
132.3±26.2 |
0.023 |
LDL-C, mg/dL |
138.6±23.9 |
139.5±24.2 |
0.992 |
82.7±18.8 |
68.0±22.7 |
0.006 |
HDL-C, mg/dL |
48.7±12.3 |
46.7±10.6 |
0.559 |
47.3±10.7 |
47.6±11.8 |
0.907 |
TG, mg/dL |
181.3±93.1 |
191.3±117.4 |
0.968 |
133.7±75.9 |
129.8±62.6 |
0.876 |
GDF-15, pg/mL |
1,460.6±874.8 |
1,271.6±801.0 |
0.280 |
1,451.0±770.8 |
1,341.4±855.2 |
0.376 |
HOMA-IR |
5.1±4.0 |
6.5±9.6 |
0.984 |
4.2±4.8 |
4.9±4.7 |
0.355 |
hsCRP, mg/dL |
2.6±2.7 |
2.3±2.6 |
0.486 |
1.3±1.1 |
1.0±0.7 |
0.989 |
Table 4Comparison of differences among various clinical factors between the 10 and 40 mg groups
Factor |
Difference in 10 mg group |
Difference in 40 mg group |
P valuea
|
CPK, U/L |
24.6±146.2 |
-9.1±48.3 |
0.359 |
AST, IU/L |
1.4±5.2 |
0.3±10.0 |
0.622 |
ALT, IU/L |
0.9±8.2 |
0.4±19.4 |
0.901 |
Insulin, µIU/mL |
-2.8±11.4 |
-7.3±41.2 |
0.599 |
C-peptide, pmol/mL |
-0.2±0.5 |
-0.2±0.9 |
0.818 |
HbA1c, % |
-0.3±1.1 |
-0.1±1.1 |
0.524 |
Glucose, mg/dL |
-4.7±90.4 |
-23.9±61.4 |
0.393 |
TC, mg/dL |
-60.9±21.6 |
-78.7±26.3 |
0.012 |
LDL-C, mg/dL |
-55.9±20.8 |
-71.5±24.7 |
0.019 |
HDL-C, mg/dL |
-1.4±7.9 |
0.7±7.5 |
0.351 |
TG, mg/dL |
-47.6±76.4 |
-54.4±107.8 |
0.794 |
GDF-15, pg/mL |
-9.5±398.7 |
69.7±480.0 |
0.527 |
HOMA-IR |
-0.9±6.0 |
-1.5±6.7 |
0.738 |
hsCRP, mg/dL |
-1.3±2.5 |
-1.3±2.4 |
0.979 |
Table 5Pearson's correlation coefficient between the differences in GDF-15 levels and the differences in various variables
Variable |
Difference in GDF-15 |
P value |
CPK (difference), U/L |
-0.006 |
0.971 |
AST (difference), IU/L |
-0.090 |
0.536 |
ALT (difference), IU/L |
-0.074 |
0.608 |
Insulin (difference), µIU/mL |
0.196 |
0.314 |
C-peptide (difference), pmol/mL |
0.232 |
0.109 |
HbA1c (difference), % |
0.196 |
0.173 |
Glucose (difference), mg/dL |
0.053 |
0.716 |
TC (difference), mg/dL |
-0.062 |
0.671 |
LDL-C (difference), mg/dL |
-0.036 |
0.806 |
HDL-C (difference), mg/dL |
-0.124 |
0.396 |
TG (difference), mg/dL |
-0.042 |
0.773 |
HOMA-IR (difference) |
0.097 |
0.505 |
hsCRP (difference), mg/dL |
0.016 |
0.504 |
Table 6Comparison of various clinical factors between GDF-15 responders and non-responders
Factor |
Responders (n=26) |
Non-responders (n=24) |
P valuea
|
Sex, male:female |
16:10 |
13:11 |
0.405 |
Age, yr |
54.7±12.0 |
56.5±12.9 |
0.604 |
Smokers, n
|
5 |
5 |
0.582 |
SBP, mm Hg |
131.2±12.4 |
129.0±11.9 |
0.542 |
DBP, mm Hg |
76.7±9.4 |
73.2±10.4 |
0.217 |
Pulse rate, beat/min |
81.3±10.2 |
79.9±11.8 |
0.658 |
HTN medication, n
|
12 |
4 |
0.026 |
Atorvastatin (10 mg/40 mg), n
|
12/14 |
11/13 |
0.603 |
Diagnosis, yr |
4.9±5.3 |
5.3±6.9 |
0.818 |
Height, cm |
164.0±10.2 |
160.1±9.2 |
0.162 |
Weight, kg |
71.0±17.7 |
64.6±11.6 |
0.130 |
BMI, kg/m2
|
26.1±4.8 |
25.0±2.8 |
0.318 |
CPK (difference), U/L |
33.2±143.5 |
-18.5±36.4 |
0.143 |
AST (difference), IU/L |
2.1±6.4 |
-0.5±9.6 |
0.261 |
ALT (difference), IU/L |
3.1±11.8 |
-2.1±18.0 |
0.239 |
Insulin (difference), µIU/mL |
-10.6±42.4 |
0.5±6.2 |
0.210 |
C-peptide (difference), pmol/mL |
-0.4±0.9 |
0.0±0.4 |
0.061 |
HbA1c (difference), % |
-0.3±1.0 |
-0.1±1.3 |
0.592 |
Glucose (difference), mg/dL |
-21.7±68.9 |
-7.9±83.8 |
0.528 |
TC (difference), mg/dL |
-91.7±25.1 |
-69.3±26.7 |
0.745 |
LDL-C (difference), mg/dL |
-65.8±25.0 |
-62.7±23.5 |
0.654 |
HDL-C (difference), mg/dL |
1.2±8.4 |
-1.9±6.8 |
0.169 |
TG (difference), mg/dL |
-52.7±106.0 |
-49.8±80.8 |
0.912 |
GDF-15 (difference), pg/mL |
-219.9±319.3 |
307.6±392.5 |
<0.001 |
HOMA-IR (difference) |
-1.8±8.0 |
-0.7±3.9 |
0.556 |
hsCRP (difference), mg/dL |
-1.6±3.3 |
-1.0±1.0 |
0.356 |