The effect of simvastatin associated with ranitidine and alcohol upon serum lipids

Statins are highly effective in lowering TC and LDL-C but the increasing of HDL-C is modest and the cost of long-term treatment is too high. On the other hand it is known that the association of H2 receptor blockers increases the plasmatic level of statins, and moderate alcohol consumption increases HDL-C. The purpose of the study was to compare the effect of statins alone and in association with either H2 receptor blockers or alcohol upon serum lipids in dyslipidemic patients. Three groups of dyslipidemic patients were studied, each of them consisting of 20 patients. The group A was treated with simvastatin 20 mg/day, the group B with simvastatin 20 mg/day + ranitidine 150 mg/day and the group C with simvastatin 20 mg/day + 30 g alcohol/day. Before and after two weeks treatment TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG were determined in each patient. For the group A patients the studied lipid fractions were modified into the limits described by the literature; for the group B patients, the decreasing of LDL-C was significantly, higher than for A group; for the group C patients, the incresing of HDL-C was significantly, higher than for A group, after two week alcohol consumption. In conclusions, the association of H2 receptor blockers increases the effect of statins upon dyslipidemia and the association of statins with moderate alcohol consumption increases the effect of statins upon HDL-C but the clinical implication has to be established.