title: Clinical evaluation of probucol in hypercholesteremia: individual lipoprotein responses and inhibitory effect on carotid atherosclerosis progression.
abstract: Probucol treatment has been evaluated in 140 patients with hypercholesterolemia attending a single Lipid Clinic, in an attempt to identify the relations between lipid/lipoprotein responses and patient characteristics. Probucol was administered as a single drug at the standard dose (0.5 g tablets b.i.d.) for at least 6 months. One-hundred (71%) patients displayed a reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), which was significantly correlated with the baseline LDL-C level (r = 0.64; p < 0.0001). Most of the patients (90%) also responded with a reduction of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); the HDL-C reduction was also directly related to baseline HDL cholesterolemia (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001). A highly significant correlation was found between the individual LDL-C and HDL-C responses. Eleven patients who continued with probucol treatment had a B-mode ultrasonographic investigation performed at baseline and after 24 months. No changes in carotid mean and maximal intimal-medial thickness were recorded, in contrast to an increase (i.e., indicative of atherosclerosis progression) in matched patients with hypercholesterolemia receiving other lipid-lowering regimens. Our report underlines that probucol can still provide a valuable option for the treatment for hypercholesterolemia, being particularly effective in patients with a combined increase of LDL-C and HDL-C levels.
authors.affiliation: Center E. Grossi Paoletti, Institute of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baldassarre
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peruzzotti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brusoni
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sirtori
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011341:Probucol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D011341:Probucol