Tag Archives: pleiotropic effects

Introduction Since their discovery in the 1970s, statins are widely used in clinics for the treatment of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Statins attenuate the intracellular levels of cholesterol by inhibiting the rate-limiting enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase, either by competing with the normal substrate in the enzyme’s active site, or by altering the conformation of the enzyme by binding to its active site. Lipid-mediated effects Statins exert their lipid-mediated action by decreasing the production of cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins (LDL), by up-regulation of LDL-receptors and uptake