Patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) have an ongoing systemic inflammation, which can be assessed by measuring C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is found to be a strong and independent predictor of future COPD outcomes. Statins are a class of cholesterol lowering drugs that decrease mortality from cardiovascular disease and stroke. In addition, they have anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic and immunomodulatory properties. Statins lower C-reactive protein by the ability to reduce the production of interleukin (IL)-6, the cytokine that activates the acute phase CRP response.
Thus the rationale for this study is to evaluate effect of statins on the levels of CRP and ET-1 in COPD patients.
