Effect of rosuvastatin or atorvastatin on urinary albumin excretion and renal function in type 2 diabetic patients

The effect of rosuvastatin or atorvastatin on urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was determined in type 2 diabetic patients. A randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, response-based design compared rosuvastatin 10 mg (titrated to 40 mg) with atorvastatin 10 mg (titrated to 80 mg) in type 2 diabetic patients with dyslipidemia, with dose titration to an LDL-C target of <3.0 mmol/L. Overnight timed urine collections were obtained at baseline, 8 and 16 weeks to UAE. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was determined using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula. Patients with paired, UAE collections of at least 8 h duration were analyzed (n = 344). No significant change from baseline in UAE was observed for either treatment group or between-treatment groups at 16 weeks, and median UAE for both treatment groups remained within normal limits (rosuvastatin 4.5 μg/min, atorvastatin 5.0 μg/min). A similar absence of change from baseline was observed for 51 patients with UAE above the normal range at study entry (>20 μg/min). No significant change in GFR from baseline after 16 weeks was observed for either treatment group. These data provide reassurance that type 2 diabetic patients can be treated with higher efficacy statins without clinically meaningful effects on urinary albumin excretion.