Effects of Maximal Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin Treatment on Markers of Glucose Homeostasis and Inflammation

Studies have reported an increased risk of developing diabetes in subjects receiving statins versus placebo. Our purpose was to compare the effects of maximum doses of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin on the plasma levels of the insulin, glycated albumin, adiponectin, and C-reactive protein compared to baseline in hyperlipidemic patients. We studied 252 hyperlipidemic men and women who had been randomized to receive atorvastatin 80 mg/day or rosuvastatin 40 mg/day during a 6-week period. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin were both highly effective in lowering the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels, with rosuvastatin more effective than atorvastatin in increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Atorvastatin and rosuvastatin at the maximum dosage both significantly (p <0.05) increased the median insulin levels by 5.2% and 8.7%, respectively, from baseline. However, only atorvastatin increased the glycated albumin levels from baseline (+0.8% for atorvastatin vs −0.7% for rosuvastatin, p = 0.002). Both atorvastatin and rosuvastatin caused significant (p <0.001) and similar median reductions in the C-reactive protein level of −40% and −26% compared to the baseline values. However, no statistically significant difference was found between the 2 groups in the adiponectin changes from baseline (−1.5% vs −4.9%, p = 0.15). In conclusion, our data have indicated that the maximum dosage of atorvastatin or rosuvastatin therapy significantly lower C-reactive protein levels but also moderately increase insulin levels.