title: Comparison between simvastatin and bezafibrate in effect on plasma lipoproteins and apolipoproteins in primary hypercholesterolaemia.
abstract: The ability of simvastatin, a competitive inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, to lower lipid levels in 16 patients with primary hypercholesterolaemia was compared with that of bezafibrate in a 16-week, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled trial that was continued in an open crossover fashion. Simvastatin was better than bezafibrate at lowering total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations (30.4% [p less than 0.001], 37.3% [p less than 0.001], and 37.8% [p less than 0.001] vs 17.0%, 19.6%, and 24.0%, respectively). Both drugs increased the high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I, but this change was significant only with bezafibrate (p less than 0.05). Bezafibrate and simvastatin reduced triglycerides by 25.6% (p less than 0.001) and 13.7% (p less than 0.05), respectively. Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-cholesterol was significantly reduced only by bezafibrate (44.3%, p less than 0.001). Both drugs were tolerated well and no serious side-effects were noted. The results show that simvastatin was more effective than bezafibrate in lowering total-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B, while bezafibrate was better at lowering triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol and at raising HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001053:Apolipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood; D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood*; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL / Q000097:blood; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019821:Simvastatin; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001053:Apolipoproteins; D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008079:Lipoproteins, VLDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D001629:Bezafibrate