title: Lovastatin efficacy in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels on high- vs low-fat diets.
abstract: The effectiveness of lovastatin was compared with both a high-fat vs low-fat diet. Hypercholesterolemic subjects were studied under metabolic ward conditions for diet periods of 3 weeks while receiving lovastatin (40 mg/d) or placebo. Multiple lipoprotein levels were measured during the final week of each diet period. Nineteen subjects completed the study on the high-fat (43% of kilojoules) diet and 16 on the low-fat (25% of kilojoules) diet. Lovastatin reduced total cholesterol by 23% and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 30%, compared with placebo on both diets, with no significant diet-drug interaction. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was raised by 7% to 8% on the diet regimens. Addition of lovastatin to the low-fat diet permitted 80% of subjects on this diet, but less than 50% of those on the high-fat diet, to achieve current guidelines. Although lovastatin produces a comparable percentage reduction in lipoprotein profiles on either diet, the accompanying low-fat diet remains advisable for additional reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels to specified goals.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Teitelbaum
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Breslow
mesh_terms: D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D015243:Cholesterol, VLDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin