title: Pravastatin experience in elderly and non-elderly patients.
abstract: Epidemiologic evidence linking elevated cholesterol concentrations and coronary heart disease (CHD) through the eighth decade of life provides a rationale for lowering cholesterol concentrations to reduce morbidity and mortality from CHD. Pravastatin, a well tolerated HMG CoA reductase inhibitor with a convenient once-daily dosing regimen, has been shown to effectively lower total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Individual data from more than 1800 hypercholesterolemic patients enrolled in six double-blind, randomized, multicenter studies were pooled and then analyzed to compare the safety and efficacy of pravastatin in the elderly (i.e., patients at least 65 years old) and the non-elderly. In short-term studies (8-16 weeks), response was dose-related and similar in elderly and non-elderly subjects. Pravastatin 20 or 40 mg daily lowered total cholesterol 19-25%, LDL-cholesterol 25-33%, and triglycerides 14-23%; high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased 5-10%. During long-term studies, improvements were sustained for more than 24 months in both the non-elderly and elderly. The incidences of adverse drug events and laboratory abnormalities were similar in the elderly and non-elderly patients in all groups (active treatment control with resin, pravastatin alone, or combination therapy). In short-term studies, treatment was discontinued because of adverse events in < 1% of all patients treated with pravastatin (all doses) or placebo. The frequency and profile of adverse events were similar among patients treated with pravastatin or placebo. In long-term studies, treatment was discontinued in 0.4% of patients in the pravastatin group and in 0.3% of the patients in the bile-acid-binding resin group. If drug therapy is warranted, pravastatin appears to be safe and effective for long-term use in elderly patients with hypercholesterolemia.
authors.affiliation: Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Princeton, NJ 08543-4000.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mellies
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: DeVault
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kassler-Taub
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D017035:Pravastatin