title: Pentaerythritol tetranicotinate (niceritrol) decreases plasma lipoprotein(a) levels.
abstract: We determined the most effective dosage of pentaerythritol tetranicotinate (niceritrol) to reduce plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels in 44 Japanese patients (16 men and 28 women; mean age, 59.2 +/- 10.8 years) with hyperlipidemia types IIa, IIb, and IV. Patients received oral niceritrol at a dosage of 750 mg (3 tablets)/d for 8 weeks, followed by 1,500 mg (6 tablets)/d for 8 weeks. Administration of niceritrol 750 mg/d for 8 weeks decreased total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in patients with type IIa hyperlipidemia and decreased triglycerides in patients with type IV hyperlipidemia, but did not affect Lp(a). However, niceritrol 1,500 mg/d for 8 weeks decreased Lp(a) in patients with initial Lp(a) levels greater than 30 mg/dL in addition to decreasing total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. These results suggest that the effective dosage of niceritrol to reduce the serum Lp(a) concentration in Japanese hyperlipidemic patients with a high Lp(a) level (> or = 30 mg/dL) is greater than 1,500 mg/d.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shingu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuga
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasunobu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurushima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saeki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kambe
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017270:Lipoprotein(a) / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009531:Niceritrol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D017270:Lipoprotein(a); D014280:Triglycerides; D009531:Niceritrol