[Absence of cataractogenic effect of lovastatin (Mevinacor) so far]

Lovastatin is an inhibitor of HMG-Co A reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. It is of therapeutic value in hypercholesterolemia type IIa and leads to decreased levels of low-density lipoproteins in serum. Treatment with high doses of lovastatin has been reported to induce cataract formation in dogs. The goal of the ongoing prospective clinical study is to evaluate whether cataract formation is caused in humans by therapeutic doses of lovastatin. So far 28 patients (average age 44 years) suffering from hypercholsterolemia have entered the study. Besides thorough slit-lamp investigations in all patients, best corrected visual acuity and contrast sensitivity for five different spatial frequencies were measured. A reduction in contrast sensitivity is a sensitive indicator for opacities of lens and cornea. During a mean follow-up of 37 weeks (range 5-62 weeks) with a mean total dose of 15 g (range 2-26 g), no cataract formation or decreased contrast sensitivity has so far been observed.