Efficacy and safety of pravastatin in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia: II. Once-daily versus twice-daily dosing

This 8-week multicenter, placebo-controlled trial compared. the efficacy and safety of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, pravastatin, when administered either as single doses of 40 mg in the morning (AM) or evening (PM) or 20 mg twice daily (bid) in 196 diet-stabilized outpatients with primary type II hypercholesterolemia. Mean reductions in total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations were observed in all pravastatin groups after 1 week and were sustained throughout the study (P <= 0.001 versus baseline and placebo). At week 8, mean reductions from baseline in the pravastatin treatment groups were 23–27% for total cholesterol and 30–34% for LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol was reduced ≧ 15% by pravastatin in all patients in the group treated with 40 mg PM and in 88 and 96% in those receiving 20 mg bid and 40 mg AM, respectively. High density lipoprotein cholesterol was elevated (up to 8%) and triglycerides were reduced (up to 25%) by all pravastatin regimens (P <= 0.05). Pravastatin was well tolerated and was associated with a low incidence of adverse events. No patient withdrew from the study due to a pravastatin-related adverse event. Once-daily pravastatin is a safe and effective treatment for patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and has a favorable safety profile.