title: Efficacy of pravastatin as a hypolipidemic agent in patients with polygenic hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: In Mexico, hypercholesterolemia has become a major public health problem particularly in the states of the north of the country and in Mexico City, where a prevalence of 20% has been reported. Schemes of treatment have now been reinforced by the appearance of new cholesterol reducing drugs. The objective of the study was to demonstrate efficacy and safety of a 10 mg daily dose of oral Pravastatin (a new 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl CoA inhibitor) in a group of patients positive for hyperlipidemia, after 6 months of treatment. Twenty-five patients were included (14 men, 11 women) with an average age of 54 and 50 years, respectively. The main outcome measure was total cholesterol (T-CHOL), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TGL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and adverse drug reactions report. Twenty-one out of 25 patients completed the study. T-CHOL diminished 21%, LDL-C was reduced by 28%, TGL decreased 6% and HDL-C increased 32%. No adverse reactions were observed throughout the study. Our study shows that the use of a low dose of Pravastatin satisfactorily reduced T-CHOL and LDL-C levels while significantly increasing HDL-C after 27 weeks of treatment, without untoward effects.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Cuerpo de Guardias, Tlanepantla, Estado de México.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aldrete-Velasco
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mejía
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008074:Lipoproteins; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D017035:Pravastatin