[An evaluation of the hypolipidemic effects of lovastatin in primary hypercholesterolemia. A multicenter study]

In the multicenter trial, the hypolipidemic efficacy and adverse event profile of lovastatin were estimated in 294 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. The mean baseline (on placebo) lipid and lipoprotein values were: total serum cholesterol (TC) 313 mg/dl, triglycerides (TG) 168 mg/dl, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) 235 mg/dl, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) 44.9 mg/dl. Lovastatin was begun with 20 mg/day, the dose being doubled after 4 and 8 weeks if the target reduction of TC < 200 mg/dl was not reached at those moments. At the end of the treatment the mean TC decreased by 29.5% (p) as compared with the baseline level, TG by 14% (p). The normal target level of TC was reached in 106 patients (36%), the borderline levels (200-240 mg/dl) in 123 (42%), high TC (240 mg/dl) remained in 65 patients (22%). LDL-C decreased by 38% (p), HDL-C increased by 7.8% (p), whereas LDL-C/HDL-C ratio decreased by 40% (p). The treatment was well tolerated by patients: mild clinical side effects were noticed in 2.7% of patients and asymptomatic transient deviations of laboratory tests in 8.2%. The authors conclude about high hypolipidemic efficacy and low adverse event profile of lovastatin in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.