title: [Pravastatin vs. probucol in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. A double-blind study].
abstract: This 16-week, double-blind study compared the efficacy and safety of pravastatin, a new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, with probucol in the treatment of hyperlipidemia in 26 patients at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología "Ignacio Chávez" in Mexico City. Patients had to have a low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level in the 75th (or greater) percentile for age and sex greater than 150 mg/ on 2 occasions, and a triglyceride level less than 350 mg/dl. The patients, aged 21 to 75 years, were randomly assigned to receive either pravastatin, 40 mg once daily at bedtime (n = 15), or probucol, 500 mg twice daily (n = 11). Complete lipid profiles were obtained at 4-week intervals. By the end of the study, mean changes in total cholesterol (CT) and LDL-C in the pravastatin group were -28% and -37%, respectively, p less than 0.001 vs baseline. In the pravastatin group, there was a mean increment in HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) of 9% and consequently a significant reduction in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. However, in the probucol group HDL-C levels dropped -21%, p less than 0.01, and no significant change in the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was observed, accounting for the significant difference in LDL-C/HDL-C ratios between the 2 groups. Both drugs were well tolerated. One pravastatin patient discontinued because of adverse effects (nausea/vomiting and mild muscle pain). These results suggest that once daily administration of pravastatin is an effective therapy for hypercholesterolemia and that it produces a more favorable response in LDL-C/HDL-C ratio than probucol.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Endocrinología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, México, D.F.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sienra-Pérez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lerman-Garber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahumada-Ayala
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castañón-Romo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cardoso-Saldaña
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laguna-Castellanos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Posadas-Romero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011341:Probucol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D008074:Lipoproteins; D017035:Pravastatin; D011341:Probucol
vernacular_title: Pravastatina vs. probucol en el tratamiento de la hipercolesterolemia. Estudio doble ciego.