[Utility of pravastin in cardiac transplant dyslipidemia]

Patients undergoing cardiac transplantation are at increased risk of dyslipidemia (60% to 80%). Lipid-lowering treatment in these patients should be aggressive given the known role of dyslipidemia in chronic transplant rejection. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pravastatina therapy and its effect upon cyclosporine levels in a population of dyslipidemic cardiac transplant patients.A total of 20 cardiac transplant patients were enrolled in this 39-week length prospective observational study. Patients had serum cholesterol levels exceeding 200 mg/dl, and received pravastatin therapy at the adequate dose to obtain an optimal lipid profile without significant adverse effects. Pravastatin, at a mean dose of 50 18 mg/day, produced a significant reduction in total cholesterol levels (from 291 32 to 203 25 mg/dl, p < 0.05), LDL cholesterol (from 187 34 to 102 15 mg/dl, p < 0.05) and an increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (from 48 16 to 55 14, p < 0.05). A slight asymptomatic increase in CPK levels was observed but no differences in cyclosporine levels. Pravastatin has shown to be an effective and safe therapy in dyslipidemic cardiac transplant patients.