title: Comparison between low-dose simvastatin and cholestyramine in moderately severe hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: In a 6-week multicenter study, we compared the efficacy and tolerance of a treatment with 10 mg of simvastatin, a new inhibitor of the HMG-CoA reductase to that of 12 g cholestyramine in 145 patients whose total cholesterol remained between 250 and 350 mg/dl after 4 weeks of a standard lipid-lowering diet. The decrease in total cholesterol reached 21% in the simvastatin group and 16% in the cholestyramine group (p less than 0.01) while the LDL-cholesterol decreased respectively by 30% and 25%. HDL cholesterol increased by 11% in the simvastatin group and by 7% in the cholestyramine group. The ratios of total to HDL cholesterol and LDL to HDL cholesterol decreased by 28.1% and 35.8% respectively with simvastatin and by only 19.5% and 27.9% respectively with cholestyramine. Triglycerides decreased by 5.8% with simvastatin and increased by 8.5% with cholestyramine. Significantly less adverse experiences were observed with simvastatin than with cholestyramine. Simvastatin at the dosage of 10 mg appeared to be at least as efficient as 12 g of cholestyramine and generally better tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Deslypere
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D019821:Simvastatin
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin