Task: Question Answering
Input (English): Context: Statins have been proposed as a potential treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) due to their immunomodulatory properties, their role restoring endothelial function and preventing atherosclerosis. We evaluate the effect of a short period treatment with a low dose of atorvastatin and its withdrawal on early stage subclinical atherosclerosis.', 'Thirty-seven SLE females received 20\u2009mg/day atorvastatin during eight weeks. At baseline, at the end of treatment and six months after atorvastatin withdrawal, disease activity, subclinical atherosclerosis -assessed by measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) - and quantification of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) - as a surrogate biological marker of subclinical atherosclerosis - were carried out.', 'The group of SLE patients with baseline pathological arterial stiffness showed a significant decrease of PWV after atorvastatin therapy (8.43\u2009±\u20091.45\u2009m/s vs 7.42\u2009±\u20091.06\u2009m/s; p\u2009=\u20090.002) that is maintained six months after treatment finished. Only patients of the middle-aged group showed a nearly significant decrease in the PWV measured along the study (7.16\u2009±\u20091.23\u2009m/s vs 6.76\u2009±\u20090.82\u2009m/s; p\u2009=\u20090.05). Atorvastatin induced a significant decrease in the circulating EPC percentage (0.65\u2009±\u20090.67 vs 0.40\u2009±\u20090.31; p\u2009=\u20090.023) as well as a downward trend of disease activity that it is observed by a decrease in SLE disease activity index simultaneously with an increase in C3 complement and significant decrease in serum concentration of vascular endothelial grow factor (VEGF) and sVCAM-1.\Question: Does short-term atorvastatin therapy improve arterial stiffness of middle-aged systemic lupus erythematosus patients with pathological pulse wave velocity?
Output (English): Short-term atorvastatin therapy reduces arterial stiffness of SLE patients with baseline pathological PWV, who are mainly in the group of middle-aged patients. Further studies are needed to determine whether these patients would benefit from statin therapy in preventing cardiovascular events.