title: Effectiveness of low-dose lovastatin combined with low-dose colestipol in moderate to severe primary hypercholesterolaemia.
abstract: The effect of the combination of low-dose lovastatin and low-dose colestipol was studied among 57 subjects with moderate to severe primary hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol > or = 7.0 mmol l-1). Following an 8-week dietary phase, participants were randomized to treatment with 20 mg of lovastatin combined with 5 g or with 10 g of colestipol, or to matching placebo. Baseline total cholesterol was 7.7 +/- 0.9 mmol l-1 after dietary stabilization. Total cholesterol levels were reduced to 5.6 +/- 0.7 mmol l-1 and 5.8 +/- 0.7 mmol l-1 after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment in the lovastatin 5 g-1 colestipol group, and 74% of the subjects achieved the goal of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels of > or = 4.0 mmol l-1. Among the lovastatin 10 g-1 colestipol group, total cholesterol was reduced to 5.4 +/- 0.5 mmol l-1 and 5.5 +/- 0.9 mmol l-1 following 4 and 8 weeks, and 80% of subjects achieved the LDL cholesterol goal. No change was seen in the placebo group. Thus, low-dose combination therapy with lovastatin and colestipol, in conjunction with dietary treatment, is effective in moderate to severe primary hypercholesterolaemia, and is well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine A, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tonstad
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ose
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gørbitz
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: de Koning Gans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003084:Colestipol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D002784:Cholesterol; D008148:Lovastatin; D003084:Colestipol