TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparative study of acipimox and pravastatin in patients with combined hyperlipidemia
AU - Fogari, R.
AU - Marasi, G.
AU - Vanasia, A.
AU - Zoppi, A.
AU - Lusardi, P.
AU - Preti, P.
PY - 1997/2
Y1 - 1997/2
N2 - The aim of this study was to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of acipimox as compared to pravastatin in patients with combined hyperlipidemia. One hundred and six subjects, all males, aged 18-60 years, with total cholesterol (TC) ≤ 200 mg/dl, TC/HDL-C ratio ≤ 5, triglycerides (TG) ≤ 200 and ≤ 350 mg/dl were randomized to receive acipimox 250 mg thrice daily or pravastatin 20 mg once daily for 3 months, according to a double-blind, double-dummy design. After a 1-month wash-out period patients were crossed to the alternative regimen for further 3 months. Prior to and at the end of each treatment period, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, blood glucose, and fibrinogen were evaluated. Both acipimox and pravastatin significantly decreased TC, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio and TG and increased HDL-C, without affecting plasma glucose. However, at the dosages employed in the study acipimox was more effective in reducing TG and increasing HDL-C levels, whereas pravastatin was more efficient in decreasing TC and LDL-C. There was no difference between the 2 treatments in their effects on TC/HDL-C ratio. Unlike pravastatin acipimox caused a slight but significant reduction in fibrinogen plasma levels. No serious adverse event was observed with either drug, but a major incidence of side-effects was reported during treatment with acipimox. Our findings suggest that, although both drugs at the standard dose employed in the study were effective in improving the lipid profile; in the treatment of combined hyperlipidemia acipimox might be preferable in the presence of more pronounced hypertriglyceridemia with low levels of HDL-C, whereas pravastatin might be more useful when hypercholesterolemia is predominant.
AB - The aim of this study was to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of acipimox as compared to pravastatin in patients with combined hyperlipidemia. One hundred and six subjects, all males, aged 18-60 years, with total cholesterol (TC) ≤ 200 mg/dl, TC/HDL-C ratio ≤ 5, triglycerides (TG) ≤ 200 and ≤ 350 mg/dl were randomized to receive acipimox 250 mg thrice daily or pravastatin 20 mg once daily for 3 months, according to a double-blind, double-dummy design. After a 1-month wash-out period patients were crossed to the alternative regimen for further 3 months. Prior to and at the end of each treatment period, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, blood glucose, and fibrinogen were evaluated. Both acipimox and pravastatin significantly decreased TC, LDL-C, TC/HDL-C ratio and TG and increased HDL-C, without affecting plasma glucose. However, at the dosages employed in the study acipimox was more effective in reducing TG and increasing HDL-C levels, whereas pravastatin was more efficient in decreasing TC and LDL-C. There was no difference between the 2 treatments in their effects on TC/HDL-C ratio. Unlike pravastatin acipimox caused a slight but significant reduction in fibrinogen plasma levels. No serious adverse event was observed with either drug, but a major incidence of side-effects was reported during treatment with acipimox. Our findings suggest that, although both drugs at the standard dose employed in the study were effective in improving the lipid profile; in the treatment of combined hyperlipidemia acipimox might be preferable in the presence of more pronounced hypertriglyceridemia with low levels of HDL-C, whereas pravastatin might be more useful when hypercholesterolemia is predominant.
KW - Acipimox
KW - Hyperlipidemias
KW - Pravastatin
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M3 - Article
C2 - 9147709
AN - SCOPUS:0031055816
VL - 35
SP - 61
EP - 64
JO - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
JF - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
SN - 0174-4879
IS - 2
ER -