Beneficial effects of pravastatin in peri- and postmenopausal hyperlipidemic women: a 5-year study on serum lipid and sex hormone levels.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the present study are to assess the 5 year effects of pravastatin on serum lipids and lipoproteins in women around the menopause and to assess the effects of pravastatin on serum gonadotropins and sex steroid levels over a long-term period.


METHODS
We evaluated the long-term efficacy of pravastatin on serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride) in 121 patients (47 premenopausal and 74 postmenopausal women) suffering from primary hypercholesterolemia. The effects of this lipid-lowering drug on serum gonadotropins and sex steroids (estradiol, estrone, and testosterone) are also reported.


RESULTS
Pravastatin produced a remarkable reduction in the serum total cholesterol level of 19.2+/-9.3% (P<0.0001) and 18.9+/-11.8% (P<0.0001), and in LDLl-cholesterol of 25.1+/-18.7% (P<0.0001) and 24+/-18.0% (P<0.0001) after 24 and 60 months' treatment, respectively. In hypertriglyceridemia, pravastatin also produced a remarkable reduction in triglyceride of 29.3+/-27.3% (P<0.0001) and 39.9+/-20.4% (P<0.0001) after 24 and 60 months of treatment, respectively. We found that serum gonadotropins and sex steroid levels changed naturally as a function of age from pre-therapy levels in the premenopausal patients after 60 months of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Pravastatin was well tolerated over 5 years and was a very effective lipid-lowering agent for both hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia with no effect on the biosynthesis of sex steroids. These findings suggest that pravastatin can be used in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia with/without high triglyceride levels in women around the menopause.
Ushiroyama
T
T
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka Medical College, Takatsuki 569-8686, Osaka, Japan. gyn003@poh.osaka-med.ac.jp
Ikeda
A
A
Ueki
M
M
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol; D017035:Pravastatin