Clinical Efficacy of Lovastatin in Patients with Hypercholesterolemia

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical efficasy of lovastatin, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, in patients with hypercholesterolemia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Lovastatin 20 to 80 mg were administered once daily for 12 weeks in twenty five patients(11 male, 14 famale ; nine patients with familial hypercholesterolemia) with hypercholesterolemia(>240mg/dl). Compared with pretreatment levels, lovastatin significantly decreased levels of total cholesterol(309+/-46mg/dl versus 201+/-37mg/dl) by 35%, LDL-cholesterol(230+/-48mg/dl versus 125+/-40mg/dl) by 46% and triglyceride(170+/-76 versus 142+/-66mg/dl) by 11% (p<0.05) with significantly decreased levels of total-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio(7.4+/-2.1 versue 4.6+/-1.5) and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio(5.6+/-1.9 versue 2.9+/-1.4) (p<0.005 except triglyceride, respectively). The level of Apo B(183+/-32mg/dl versus 114+/-26mg/dl) was decreased significantly by 37%(p<0.005) with significantly decreased level of Apo A-1(115+/-22 to 122+/-26mg/dl) was increased significantly by 6%(p<0.05). No serious side effects were found. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the present study show that lovastatin is an effective and well-tolerated cholesterol-lowering agent.