Comparison of Effects of Fluvastatin Extended-release Tablets and Immediate-release Capsules on Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Hypercholesterolemia

Objective To compare the effects of extended-release(ER) formulation of fluvastatin and immediate-release(IR) formulation of fluvastatin on arterial stiffness in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Methods A total of 139 patients with hypercholesterolemia were randomly assigned to receive either oral fluvastatin ER 80 mg once per day(fluvastatin ER 80 mg group, n=71)or oral fluvastatin IR 40 mg twice per day(fluvastatin IR 40 mg group, n=68) for 12 weeks. Pulse wave velocity(PWV) and augmentation index(AIx) were measured with SphygmoCor arterial pulse wave analyzer. Results Compared with fluvastatin IR 40 mg group, both AIx and PWV significantly decreased in fluvastatin ER 80 mg group(P0.05).Conclusion Fluvastatin ER tablets are superior to fluvastatin IR capsules for reducing arterial stiffness. Therefore, Fluvastatin ER tablets are appropriate to treat hypercholesterolemia.