NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering ability of "statin" drugs, like Lipitor and Mevacor, is blunted when the blood contains high levels of an enzyme called phospholipid transferprotein.

The enzyme, which is involved in moving cholesterol throughout the body, has been linked to blood vessel plaques in animal studies, Dr. Axel Schlitt from Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany, and colleagues explain.

However, the role of the enzyme in promoting plaque-related diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, and its association with statins is unclear, Schlitt told Reuters Health.

As reported in the Journal of Lipid Research, the investigators measured levels of the enzyme phospholipid transferprotein in 1085 patients with heart disease and analyzed its impact on outcomes. When the study began, 395 patients were receiving statins.

During roughly 5 years of follow-up, 156 patients had a heart attack or suffered a heart disease- or stroke-related death, including 47 who were taking statins.

When all patients were considered, the phospholipid transferprotein level had no apparent effect on outcomes. In statin users, however, high levels of the enzyme were linked to heart attacks and stroke.

Further research, the authors note, is needed to verify these findings and to shed light on the reasons for the association seen in statin users.

SOURCE: Journal of Lipid Research, April 2009.

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