Short-Term Statin Treatment Reduces, and Long-Term Statin Treatment Abolishes, Chronic Vascular Injury by Radiation Therapy.

Short-term administration of pravastatin is sufficient to reduce chronic vascular injury at 1 year after irradiation. Long-term administration eliminates the effects of irradiation. These findings suggest that a prospective treatment strategy involving statins could be effective in patients undergoing radiation therapy. The optimal duration of treatment in humans has yet to be determined.