title: High-dose fluvastatin and bezafibrate combination treatment for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.
abstract: This study assessed the long-term use of fluvastatin, alone or in combination with bezafibrate, in patients with severe familial hypercholesterolemia who, in a previous study, did not achieve target levels (European Atherosclerosis Society) of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) with fluvastatin at 60 mg/day plus bezafibrate 200 mg/day, with or without cholestyramine (CME) at 8 g/day. This open-label study comprised 3 periods: period I, 6 weeks of fluvastatin at 40 mg twice daily (at breakfast and at bedtime); period II, fluvastatin at 80 mg/day (40 mg at breakfast, 40 mg at bedtime), and bezafibrate at 200 mg/day (at lunchtime) for 6 weeks in patients not achieving LDL-C target levels; and period III, force-titration of fluvastatin to 800 mg/day (as in period II) and bezafibrate at 400 mg/day (slow release) in patients receiving combination treatment. Patients were excluded if, during the previous study, they had experienced a serious drug-related adverse event or deterioration in liver or kidney function (liver enzymes > 3 times upper limit of normal). The standard physical and laboratory evaluations were performed at regular intervals. Lipid profiles were determined from 12-hour fasting blood samples. All adverse events occurring or worsening during the study, whether spontaneously reported or elicited by questioning, and regardless of relationship to study medication, were recorded.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Isreal.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eliav
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schurr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pfister
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Friedlander
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Leitersdorf
mesh_terms: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001629:Bezafibrate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077340:Fluvastatin; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D006938:Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D007211:Indoles / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010919:Placebos; D012449:Safety; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D010919:Placebos; D014280:Triglycerides; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D000077340:Fluvastatin; D002784:Cholesterol; D006903:Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases; D001629:Bezafibrate