THE EFFECT OF PRAVASTATIN ON PLASMA-LIPOPROTEIN AND APOLIPOPROTEIN LEVELS IN PRIMARY HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Pravastatin is a metabolic product of mevastatin and a potent inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase. It was investigated for its cholesterol-lowering properties in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of 82 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. Following a 6- to 8-week dietary lead-in period, patients were randomized to twice-daily placebo or active drug for 16 weeks. Patients receiving 10 mg of pravastatin twice a day for 8 weeks experienced mean total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level reductions of 20% (6.85 vs 5.48 mmol/L [265 vs 212 mg/dL]) and 28% (5.17 vs 3.75 mmol/L [200 vs 145 mg/dL]), respectively. At 20 mg twice a day for an additional 8 weeks, pravastatin reduced plasma total cholesterol, LDL-C, and apolipoprotein B-100 levels by 23% (6.85 vs 5.30 mmol/L [265 vs 205 mg/dL]), 31% (5.17 vs 3.59 mmol/L [200 vs 139 mg/dL]), and 23% (118 vs 91 mg/dL), respectively. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), HDL(b)-C, HDL(b)-C, and apolipoprotein A-1 plasma concentrations increased by 11%, 60%, 7%, and 10%. Plasma triglyceride concentrations decreased in both the pravastatin- and placebo-treated patients. Pravastatin was generally well tolerated and an effective agent for the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia.