Fluvastatin and niacin in hypercholesterolemia: a preliminary report on gender differences in efficacy.
A total of 74 hypercholesterolemic patients were randomized to receive double-blind treatment for 6 weeks with either 20 mg of fluvastatin daily or placebo. Open-label niacin, to a maximum of 3 g daily, was added to each treatment for a further 9 weeks. Changes in lipid parameters were derived from averaged data, with monotherapy at weeks 3 and 6 and with combination therapy at weeks 12 and 15. The reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was significantly greater with fluvastatin (20.8%) compared with placebo (p < 0.001) after 3-6 weeks of treatment. At the end of 12-15 weeks, the addition of niacin potentiated the response to 43.7% with the fluvastatin+niacin combination and to 26.5% with the placebo+niacin combination (p < 0.001, vs baseline and between treatment groups). Significant gender differences were noted in the LDL-C response to the fluvastatin+niacin combination. Women achieved LDL-C reductions of 54.6% whereas men achieved reductions of 38.2% (p < 0.0005, between gender groups). Women also tended to have greater LDL-C reductions with the placebo+niacin combination, compared with men (p < 0.05). At the end of 12-15 weeks, there were HDL-C increases of 33.1% (p < 0.001) whereas triglyceride levels declined by 32.3% (p < 0.001). In conclusion, fluvastatin, both as monotherapy and in combination with niacin, proved to be an effective and well-tolerated alternative for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. The differential response in LDL-C between men and women should be further explored in other trials of lipid-lowering therapy.
Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30303.
T A
TA
Jacobson
L A
LA
Jokubaitis
L F
LF
Amorosa
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D000077340:Fluvastatin; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009525:Niacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D008055:Lipids; D009525:Niacin; D000077340:Fluvastatin