title: A multicenter double-blind study comparing lovastatin and gemfibrozil in the treatment of primary hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: The efficacy and tolerability of lovastatin and gemfibrozil were compared in a randomized double-blind 12-week study including 182 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia, from 7 hospitals in Spain. Inclusion criteria were total-cholesterol of at least 250 mg/dl and triglycerides less than 350 mg/dl. Patients were stratified in two groups: group 1, cholesterol less than 300 mg/dl, and group II, cholesterol equal to or more than 300 mg/dl. Patients were randomized to gemfibrozil (600 mg b.i.d.) or lovastatin (20 mg q.p.m., group I and 40 mg q.p.m., group II). If after 6 weeks of treatment cholesterol remained above 200 mg/dl, lovastatin does were doubled. In group I, lovastatin decreased cholesterol by 20%, LDL-C by 28%, and triglycerides by 17%, and increased HDL-C by 8%. In group II the results were: -26%, -33%, -19% and +6% respectively. The corresponding results with gemfibrozil were: -8%, -9%, -28% and +14% (group I); and -13%, -14%, -33% and +9% (group II). In both groups, lovastatin was more effective in reducing cholesterol and LDL-C (P less than 0.001) and gemfibrozil in reducing triglycerides (P less than 0.05 group I and P less than 0.01 group II). Both drugs were well tolerated. Thus, lovastatin and gemfibrozil are effective lipid-lowering agents; lovastatin has more pronounced effects in patients with hypercholesterolemia.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vallés
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anguita
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anglada
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fabiani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Plaza
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Soriguer
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Azanza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barcina
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D015248:Gemfibrozil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin; D015248:Gemfibrozil