Effects of Pitavastatin on Insulin Sensitivity and Liver Fat
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2018-04-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
HMG co-A reductase inhibitors, commonly called statins, are an effective treatment for
dyslipidemia and atherosclerotic heart disease with proven mortality benefit. While the
lipid-lowering effects of statins are well-known, other metabolic effects, including effects
on glucose tolerance and ectopic fat distribution, are less completely understood. Recent
studies have shown that some statins may increase the risk of diabetes. Further, research has
suggested that statins may have some benefit in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a
condition associated with obesity that includes increased fat in the liver (steatosis) and,
in some cases, inflammation and hepatocellular damage (steatohepatitis). Pitavastatin,
approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2009, is the most recent
statin to enter the market. Unlike most statins, pitavastatin is not primarily metabolized
through cytochrome P450 (CYP450), and thus has reduced potential for interactions with other
medications that are metabolized by CYP450. Previous studies have suggested that pitavastatin
may be neutral to glucose homeostasis and may improve hepatic lipid. Neither of these effects
has been proven definitively, however, and the current proposal aims to characterize in
detail the effects of pitavastatin on glucose homeostasis, hepatic steatosis, and
steatohepatitis.