Adiponectin plasma levels are increased by atorvastatin treatment in subjects at high cardiovascular risk

Adiponectin can suppress atherogenesis by inhibiting the adherence of monocytes, reducing their phagocytic activity, and suppressing the accumulation of modified lipoproteins in the vascular wall. Contradictory data have been reported about the effect of statins on adiponectin plasma levels. In this work, adiponectin plasma levels were measured in 102 statin-free subjects from the Spanish population of the Achieve Cholesterol Targets Fast with Atorvastatin Stratified Titration (ACTFAST) study, a 12-week, prospective, multi-centre, open-label trial which enrolled subjects with coronary heart disease, coronary heart disease-equivalent or a 10-year coronary heart disease risk > 20%. Subjects were assigned to atorvastatin (10–80 mg/day) based on low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol concentration at screening. For comparison, age and gender-matched blood donors (N = 40) were used as controls. Control subjects did not present hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and history of cardiovascular diseases. Adiponectin levels were diminished in patients at high cardiovascular risk compared with control subjects [4166 (3661–4740) vs 5806 (4764–7075) ng/ml respectively; geometric mean (95% CI); P < 0.0001]. In the whole population, atorvastatin treatment increased adiponectin levels [9.7 (3.2–16.7);% Change (95% CI); P = 0.003]. This increment was in a dose-dependent manner; maximal effect observed with atorvastatin 80 mg/d [24.7 (5.7–47.1); P = 0.01]. Adiponectin concentrations were positively correlated with high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol both before and after atorvastatin treatment. No association was observed between adiponectin and LDL-cholesterol before and after atorvastatin treatment. In conclusion, atorvastatin increased adiponectin plasma levels in subjects at high cardiovascular risk, revealing a novel anti-inflammatory effect of this drug.