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.