A common cholesterol drug called atorvastatin can reduce the growth of leaky new blood vessels inside artery plaques, even when it doesn’t lower cholesterol much—this might help prevent plaques from bursting.

15

Pro

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Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

15

Community contributions welcome

15

Atorvastatin pleiotropically decreases intraplaque angiogenesis and intraplaque haemorrhage by inhibiting ANGPT2 release and VE-Cadherin internalization

Randomized Controlled Trial

Animal

2021 Aug

The study gave mice a cholesterol-lowering drug called atorvastatin and found it made dangerous new blood vessels inside plaque shrink — even when cholesterol levels were the same as in mice not given the drug. This means the drug works directly on the vessels, not just by lowering cholesterol.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Atorvastatin pleiotropically decreases intraplaque angiogenesis and intraplaque haemorrhage by inhibiting ANGPT2 release and VE-Cadherin internalization

Score: 15

DOI: 10.1007/s10456-021-09767-9

Similar Assertions

Atorvastatin helps the support cells (pericytes) wrap around new blood vessels in plaques more tightly, making them stronger and less likely to leak.

15

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90%

Atorvastatin helps make the new blood vessels inside artery plaques less leaky by helping support cells stick better and sealing gaps between vessel lining cells, which may stop bleeding inside the plaque.

15

0

84%

The cholesterol-lowering drug atorvastatin doesn’t get into the fatty plaques in arteries — so it must be working by lowering cholesterol in the blood, not by directly touching the immune cells inside the plaque.

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61

80%

In mice prone to clogged arteries, a daily dose of atorvastatin made the dangerous, rupture-prone plaques much less common—even though the overall blockage didn’t get smaller.

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79%

The drug lowered the activity of enzymes that break down the structural fibers in plaques, which may help keep plaques from rupturing.

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14

75%