Evaluation the Risk of Atherosclerosis Among Some Iraqi Hyperlipidemic Patients Taking Atorvastatin

Background: Hyperlipidemia is a family of disorders that are characterized by abnormally high levels of lipids in the blood. While fats play a vital role in the body’s metabolic processes, high blood levels increase the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary heart disease (CHD). This research aims to provide an investigation of hyperlipidemia and will focus on the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and The Castelli’s risk indexes (CRI-I & CRI-II) which are strong markers to predict the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, one hundred forty-nine Iraqi male and female patients with primary hyperlipidemia of the age of 28 to 85 years, who were treated with atorvastatin 40mg for at least 6 months were recruited. Lipid profile and liver functions were assessed, and the AIP and CRI-I & CRI-II were calculated to predict the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Results: The study's finding shows there are 42 patients (28.2%) with good response to the statin therapy (atorvastatin 40 mg), about 35% of studied patients with a moderate response and about 39% of patients had poor or non-response after at least 6 months of the treatment. Additionally, there are 17 patients (11.4%) with a low risk of IHD, 3.4% with a moderate risk, and 85% of studied patients had a high risk of IHD according to the results of AIP. According to CRI-I and CRI-II there are 68 and 118 patients at low risk and 81, 31 patients at high risk to IHD respectively. Significant differences were observed in the levels of TC, BMI, and AIP between the age groups of the studied patients. Moreover, there are significant differences in the levels of TC, and AST regarding to the duration of treatment groups of the studied patients. Conclusion: The study highlights varying responses to atorvastatin, with 39% showing poor or no response. AIP results indicate that 85% of patients are still at high IHD risk, supported by CRI-I and CRI-II assessments.