Effect of Rosuvastatin Therapy in Patients With Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Inclusion criteria

• Stable COPD patients of both genders with no COPD exacerbations less than three weeks prior to inclusion
• COPD stage I to IV after the GOLD criteria (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease)
• Age between 40 and 80 years

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed lung disease other than COPD, except chronic asthmatic bronchitis and mild bronchiectasis without or few physical signs (diagnosed by high resolution CT)
• History of or active coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular or peripheral vascular disease
• History of or clinically significant congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, clinically significant arrhythmias or conduction delays
• History of uncontrolled arterial hypertension (defined as blood pressure above180/110 mmHg with or without the use of antihypertensive medication)
• Body mass index >40kg/m2
• History of diabetes mellitus, measured fasting glucose > 11 mmol/L
• History of Hypercholesterolemia, measured total cholesterol > 8 mmol/L
• Known poliomyelitis, motor neurone disease, cranial or temporal arteritis, stroke or myopathy
• Neutropenia, anemia (Hb 176 micromol/L (2.0mg/dL)
• Creatine kinase > 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Acute or chronic liver disease (serum transaminases > 3 times the ULN)
• Pregnancy (oral examination and blood test prior to inclusion)
• Active abuse of drugs or alcohol, poor compliance anticipated
• Statin use within the last 4 weeks prior to study start or previously clear indication for statin use
• Prior diagnosis of statin induced myopathy or hypersensitivity reaction to another hydroxymethylglutaryl-Coenzyme A-reductase inhibitor incl. Rosuvastatin
• History of malignant disease of any kind within 5 years prior to inclusion.
• History of uncontrolled hypothyroidism
• Participation in another pharmaceutical or medical device clinical trial study less than 4 weeks prior inclusion.
• Use concomitant of medications that are known to interact with Crestor. This includes the following medications: Warfarin and other coumarin (vitamin K antagonist) anticoagulants, Cyclosporin, Gemfibrozil and Antacid