BACKGROUND: At present, it is believed that the important causes of cerebral infarction are the disorders of lipid metabolism and endothelial function, and the outcomes of clinical treatment can be improved by regulating serum lipids and antiinflammation, etc. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of simvastatin, inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, on the levels of serum lipids, serum enzymic indexes and inflammatory metabolic indexes in patients with cerebral infarction. DESIGN: A comparative observation. SETTING: Department of Geriatrics, Longquanshan Hospital of Liuzhou City. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight patients with acute cerebral infarction were selected from the Department of Geriatrics of Longquanshan Hospital of Liuzhou from March 2004 to February 2006, including 24 males and 24 females, the mean age was (54±12) years, average disease course was (10.0±4.5) days. They were all accorded with the diagnostic standard for cerebral infarction set by the Fourth National Academic Meeting for Cerebrovascular Disease in 1999, and cerebral hemorrhage was excluded by cranial CT scanning. The 48 patients were randomly divided into control group (n =24) and treatment group (n =24). Informed consents were obtained from all the participants. METHODS: ① All the patients were treated according to the symptoms, besides those in the treatment group were given simvastatin (Harbin Pharm. Group Sanjing Pharmaceutical Shareholding, Co.,Ltd., No. H20010454; Batch number: 20040218; 5 mg/tablet). The initial dosage was 10 mg per day for 4 weeks, and then increased to 30 mg per day for another 4 weeks. ② Before treatment and within 1 week after treatment, the total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase and C reactive protein in serum were determined with Beckman-cx7 automatic biochemical analytical apparatus in both groups. ③ The differences of intergroup and intragroup data were compared with the independent-samples t test and paired samples t test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, AST, creatine kinase and C reactive protein before and treatment in both groups. RESULTS: All the 48 patients with cerebral infarction were involved in the analysis of results. ① Changes of serum lipids: The levels of serum lipids were close between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05). After treatment, the HDL-C level in the treatment group was obviously higher than that in the control group and that before treatment [(1.34±0.12), (0.92±0.33), (0.93±0.21) mmol/L, t =7.922, 11.699, P < 0.01], and the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C were obviously lower than those in the control group and those before treatment (t =2.780-7.591, P < 0.01). ② Changes of serum enzymic indexes and C reactive protein in serum: The levels of enzymes and C reactive protein in serum had no obvious differences between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05). The levels of AST, creatine kinase and C reactive protein in serum after treatment were obviously lower than those before treatment in both groups (t =7.259-17.996, P < 0.01). The levels of levels of creatine kinase and C reactive protein in serum after treatment in the treatment group were obviously lower than those in the control group [(3.061±0.522) μkat/L, (4.6±3.1) mg/L; (4.348±0.580) μkat/L, (12.3±4.8) mg/L, t =7.910, 6.463, P < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: Compared with common treatment according to symptoms, the additional administration of simvastatin is better for improving the serum lipids, serum enzymic indexes of patients with cerebral infarction at acute period, and benefit for repairing their inflammatory damages. BACKGROUND: At present, it is believed that the important causes of cerebral infarction are the disorders of lipid metabolism and endothelial function, and the outcomes of clinical treatment can be improved by regulating serum lipids and antiinflammation, etc. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of simvastatin, inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, on the levels of serum lipids, serum enzymic indexes and inflammatory metabolic indexes in patients with cerebral infarction. DESIGN: A comparative observation. SETTING: Department of Geriatrics, Longquanshan Hospital of Liuzhou City. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight patients with acute cerebral infarction were selected from the Department of Geriatrics of Longquanshan Hospital of Liuzhou from March 2004 to February 2006, including 24 males and 24 females, the mean age was (54 ± 12) years , average disease course was (10.0 ± 4.5) days. They were all accorded with the diagnostic standard for cerebral infarction set by the Fourth Na tional Academic Meeting for Cerebrovascular Disease in 1999, and cerebral hemorrhage was excluded by cranial CT scanning. The 48 patients were randomly divided into control group (n = 24) and treatment group (n = 24). Informed consents were obtained from all the participants METHODS: ① All the patients were treated according to the symptoms, besides those in the treatment groups were given simvastatin (Harbin Pharm. Group Sanjing Pharmaceutical Shareholding, Co., Ltd., No. H20010454; Batch number: 20040218; tablet). The initial dosage was 10 mg per day for 4 weeks, and then increased to 30 mg per day for another 4 weeks. ② Before treatment and within 1 week after treatment, the total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase and C reactive protein in serum were determined with Beckman-cx7 automatic biochemical analytical apparatus in both groups. ③ The d ifferences of intergroup and intragroup data were compared with the independent-samples t test and paired samples t test. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes of total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, AST, creatine kinase and C reactive protein before and RESULTS: All the 48 patients with cerebral infarction were involved in the analysis of results. ① Changes of serum lipids: The levels of serum lipids were close between the two groups before treatment (P> 0.05). After treatment, the HDL-C level in the treatment group was obviously higher than that in the control group and that before treatment [(1.34 ± 0.12), (0.92 ± 0.33), (0.93 ± 0.21) mmol / L, t = 7.922, 11.699, P <0.01], and the levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C were significantly lower than those in the control group and those before treatment (t = 2.780-7.591, P <0.01) reactive protein in serum: The levels of enzymes and C reactive protein in serum had No significant differences between the two groups before treatment (P> 0.05). The levels of AST, creatine kinase and C reactive protein in serum after treatment were obviously lower than those before treatment in both groups (t = 7.259-17.996, P <0.01 ). The levels of levels of creatine kinase and C reactive protein in serum after treatment in the treatment group were obviously lower than those in the control group [(3.061 ± 0.522) μkat / L, (4.6 ± 3.1) mg / L; CONCLUSION: Compared with common treatment according to symptoms, the additional administration of simvastatin is better for improving the serum lipids (4.348 ± 0.580) μkat / L, (12.3 ± 4.8) mg / L, t = 7.910, 6.463, P <0.01] , serum enzymic indexes of patients with cerebral infarction at acute period, and benefit for repairing their inflammatory damages.