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Amelioration of gait and balance disorders by rosuvastatin is associated with changes in cerebrovascular reactivity in older patients with hypertensive treatment

Hypertension Research (2024)Cite this article

Abstract

To investigate the effect of rosuvastatin on gait and balance disorder progression and elucidate the role of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) on this effect. From April 2008 to November 2010, 943 hypertensive patients aged ≥60 years were enrolled from the Shandong area of China. Patients were randomized into rosuvastatin and placebo groups. Gait, balance, CVR, fall and stroke were assessed. During an average 72 months of follow-up, the decreasing trends for step length, step speed, and Berg balance scale scores and the increasing trends for step width and chair rising test were slower in the rosuvastatin group when compared to the placebo group. The hazard ratio of incident balance impairment and falls was 0.542 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.442–0.663] and 0.532 (95% CI 0.408–0.694), respectively, in the rosuvastatin group compared with placebo group. For CVR progression, the cerebrovascular reserve capacity and breath-holding index were increased and the pulsatility index decreased in the rosuvastatin group, while the cerebrovascular reserve capacity and breath-holding index were decreased, and pulsatility index increased in the placebo group. The changes in gait stability and balance function were independently associated with the changes in the CVR. The odds risks of balance impairment and falls were 2.178 (95% CI: 1.491–3.181) and 3.227 (95% CI: 1.634–6.373), respectively, in the patients with CVR impairment and patients without CVR impairment. Rosuvastatin ameliorated gait and balance disorder progression in older patients with hypertension. This effect might result from the improvement in the CVR.

This double-blind clinical trial recruited 943 hypertensive patients aged ≥60 years who were randomly administered rosuvastatin and placebo interventions. The data indicates that rosuvastatin significantly ameliorated the progressions of gait and balance disorders in older hypertensive patients. The cerebrovascular reactivity might play an important mediating role in this amelioration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all patients and individuals who provided assistance in this study, and sources of financial support.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 81973139); Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (Grants ZR2022MH179); and the Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Plan Project of Shandong, China (Grant 202103010686).

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Junyi Ge, Xiaofei Qin, Xinyi Yu.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China

    Junyi Ge, Xiaofei Qin, Xinyi Yu, Peilin Li, Yanli Yao, Hua Zhang, Huajing Song & Zhendong Liu

  2. School of Clinical and Basic Medicine, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China

    Junyi Ge, Xiaofei Qin, Xinyi Yu, Peilin Li, Yanli Yao, Hua Zhang, Huajing Song & Zhendong Liu

  3. Department of ECG Information, Shandong Engineering Research Center, Jinan, Shandong, 250117, China

    Xinyi Yu, Hua Zhang, Huajing Song & Zhendong Liu

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Ge, J., Qin, X., Yu, X. et al. Amelioration of gait and balance disorders by rosuvastatin is associated with changes in cerebrovascular reactivity in older patients with hypertensive treatment. Hypertens Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-024-01720-9

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