From the Department of Pharmacy and Amir Alam Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Abstract: (4136 Views)
In this study, the effect of lovastatin and fluvastatin was compared with placebo
in patients with high levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol
(LDL-C) on the plasma lipid profile. In a prospective single blind clinical trial with
convenient sampling, 120 hypercholesterolemic men and women with Tcholesterol
≥220 mg/dL, LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL, and triglyceride ≤ 350 mg/dL were
selected and divided into 3 groups randomly. The fust group took lovastatin, 20 mg
daily, the second group fluvastatin, 40 mg daily, and the third group took a placebo,
all for 12 weeks. Compared with placebo, drug therapy of hypercholesterolemia with
either lovastatin or fluvastatin decreased total cholesterol and LDL-C levels
significantly but had no effect on high density lipoprotein and triglyceride values.
Decrease of total cholesterol and LD L-C levels by both drugs are similar after the first
6 weeks but lovastatin was more effective after the second 6 week period.