Statins and exercise combo helps to manage dyslipidemia better in obese individuals: Study

The study found that in these patients, statins did not compromise their ability to mobilize and fat oxidation at rest or during prolonged, moderately intense exercise, which is equivalent to brisk walking.

Laura Alvarez-Jimenez from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo, Spain, and colleagues conducted the study to determine whether statin medication in people with dyslipidemia, obesity, and metabolic syndrome affects their capacity to mobilize and oxidize fat during exercise.

The study included twelve individuals with metabolic syndrome. They were randomized to pedalling during 75 min at 54 ± 13% V˙O2max (metabolic equivalents of 5.7 ± 0.5) while taking statins (STATs) or after 96-hr statin withdrawal (PLAC).

The authors reported the following findings:

• At rest, PLAC increased total cholesterol blood levels (i.e., STAT 4.39 ± 1.16 vs PLAC 4.98 ± 0.97 mmol/L) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C (i.e., STAT 2.55 ± 0.96 versus PLAC 3.16 ± 0.76 mmol/L).
• At rest, PLAC did not affect rates of plasma appearance of glucose and glycerol (i.e., Ra glucose-glycerol) and fat oxidation (0.99 ± 0.34 vs 0.76 ± 0.37 μmol·kg-1·min-1 for STAT versus PLAC).
• Following 70 min of exercise, fat oxidation was comparable between trials (2.94 ± 1.56 vs 3.06 ± 1.94 μmol·kg-1·min-1, STA vs PLAC).
• During exercise, PLAC did not change the rates of disappearance of glucose in plasma (i.e., 23.9 ± 6.9 vs 24.5 ± 8.2 μmol·kg-1·min-1 for STAT versus PLAC) or the rate of glycerol's plasma appearance (i.e., 8.5 ± 1.9 vs 7.9 ± 1.8 μmol·kg-1·min-1 for STAT versus PLAC).

"Treatment with statins in patients with metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, and obesity, does not compromise their ability for exercise lipolysis or fat oxidation at rest or during moderately intense exercise," the researchers wrote.

"In these patients, the combination of exercise and statins could help to manage their dyslipidemia better," they concluded.

Reference:

Alvarez-Jimenez, Laura, et al. "Chronic Statin Treatment Does Not Impair Exercise Lipolysis or Fat Oxidation in Exercise-Trained Individuals With Obesity and Dyslipidemia." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2023, pp. 1-10.