Pleiotropic Effects of Atorvastatin in High Cardiovascular Risk Patients

In this arm patients with ischemic heart disease will be recruited. In a double-blind crossover design heart failure patients (n=30) naïve to statins treatment will be randomized to receive oral atorvastatin 10mg/day 1x1(n=15) or oral atorvastatin 40mg/day 1x1 (n=15) for 4 weeks. At the end of 4 weeks a 2-week wash out period will follow and then all patients will switch atorvastatin dose and continue treatment for 4 weeks (e.g all patients that were under atorvastatin 10mg/day will be switched to atorvastatin 40mg/day and vice versa).

In this arm, patients undergoing cardiac surgery (CABG, valve replacement or aortic surgery) that are not under statins treatment will be recruited. Patients will be randomized in a double-blind fashion to atorvastatin 40mg/day or placebo for 3 days before surgery date.