Vascular Pleiosynergy - Does It Really Work?

Cardiovascular risk increases exponentially by multiple risk factors. Similarly, by simultaneously treating these risk factors the therapeutic benefit can be multiplied. It is also relevant that some drugs exert extra benefit by acting beyond their main effect. A wide range of pleiotropic effects have been reported among lipid lowering statins and thirdgeneration calcium channel blockers. These include an increase of endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production, inhibition of free radical formation and reduction of migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells independently from the main therapeutic effect of these drugs. Favorable “therapeutic cross effects” due to pleiotropic mechanisms can be defined as pleiosynergy.