In patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), endothelial cell activation or damage in small vessels is followed by intimal hyperplasia and peripheral ischaemia.¹ Raised levels of plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF), thrombomodulin (TM), and other endothelial/thrombotic markers have been found in patients with SSc^2–5; vWF is increased in plasma from patients with SSc with diffuse skin involvement and with severe disease, presumably correlating with disease activity.³ Besides a cholesterol lowering effect, statins exert non-lipid related mechanisms, so-called “pleiotropic effects”, which may contribute to reducing risks of cardiovascular events. In this study the effect of a low dose pravastatin on markers of endothelial cell activation/injury and coagulation was investigated in patients with SSc.

This clinical trial was approved by the ethical committee of Hokkaido University …