The impact of atorvastatin on cardiometabolic risk factors in brothers of women with polycystic ovary syndrome

BACKGROUND: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are characterized by increased cardiometabolic risk. The aim of the current study was to compare the impact of atorvastatin on plasma levels of cardiometabolic risk factors between men whose sisters had either PCOS or were unaffected. METHODS: The study population consisted of two age-, fat-free mass index-, blood pressure- and plasma lipid-matched groups of men with elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels: 20 brothers of PCOS probands (group 1) and 20 brothers of healthy women (group 2). Both groups were then treated with atorvastatin (40 mg daily) for the following 6 months. At the beginning and at the end of the study, we assessed plasma lipid levels, glucose homeostasis markers and levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, uric acid, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), homocysteine, fibrinogen and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. RESULTS: At the beginning of the study, both treatment arms differed in the degree of insulin resistance, calculated bioavailable testosterone, as well as in plasma levels of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, uric acid, hsCRP and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Although atorvastatin reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels, this effect was stronger in group 2 than group 1. In group 2, atorvastatin exerted also a more potent impact on hsCRP, fibrinogen and homocysteine. An unfavorable impact on insulin sensitivity was observed only in group 1; while, statistically significant changes in uric acid and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were found only in group 2. CONCLUSION: The obtained results suggest that cardiometabolic effects of atorvastatin are less pronounced in male siblings of PCOS probands than in brothers of unaffected women.