Various lipid-lowering agents have been shown to modulate blood viscosity. Statin drugs in particular have been reported to lower blood viscosity. In patients with familiar hypercholesterolemia, pravastatin was demonstrated to have a significant blood viscosity lowering effect [1], and separately, 3-months treatment by lovastatin was observed to reduce blood viscosity [2]. A clinical study of patients with hypercholesterolemia reported 4-weeks treatment by low-dose atorvastatin reduced low-shear blood viscosity by a mean of 16% [3].

  1. Tsuda, Y., et al., Effects of pravastatin sodium and simvastatin on plasma fibrinogen level and blood rheology in type II hyperlipoproteinemia. Atherosclerosis, 1996. 122(2): p. 225-33.
  2. Koenig, W., et al., Lovastatin alters blood rheology in primary hyperlipoproteinemia: dependence on lipoprotein(a)? J Clin Pharmacol, 1992. 32(6): p. 539-45.
  3. Empen, K., et al., Effect of atorvastatin on lipid parameters, LDL subtype distribution, hemorrheological parameters and adhesion molecule concentrations in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2003. 13(2): p. 87-92.

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