Objective To investigate the profile of circulatory renin-angiotensin system (RAS) activity in hypercholesterolemia (HC) patients treated with statins.

Methods This study included 18 primary HC patients and 18 sex-and age-matched healthy adults. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), LDL-C and blood glucose, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and angiotensin II (AngII) levels were measured at baseline. These parameters were measured again at 4 and 8 weeks after statin treatment in HC group respectively.

Results At baseline, the TC, TG and LDL-C, as well as ACE activity and AngII level, were significantly higher in HC group. On the baseline data of 36 participates, significant positive correlations existed between ACE activity and TC(r = 0.54) or LDL-C(r = 0.51), and between AngII level and TC(r = 0.34) or LDL-C(r = 0.27). In HC patients, 8 weeks statin treatment significantly decreased TC, LDL-C, as well as Ang II (35.46 ± 14.49 vs 71.10 ± 20.47 pg/ml, P < 0.05) levels and ACE activity (108.9 ± 51.9vs 180.1 ± 71.3 U/L, P < 0.05), meanwhile, positive correlations between RAS activity and TC or LDL-C levels measured before and after treatment were seen in HC patients.

Conclusions Serum cholesterol-lowering with statins is associated with decreasing circulatory RAS activity in hypercholesterolemia patients.