[Comparative study of the impact of diet versus pravastatin on color vision in Brodman area 19 detected by computerized chromatic analysis (CARDIOCOLOUR Study)].
OBJECTIVE
Hypercholesterolemia causes important neurodegenerative changes in the cerebral cortex, which are manifested by defects in the color perception by the neurons of Brodman area 19. Extensive interventional epidemiological data from both primary and secondary-prevention clinical trials indicate that cardiac ischemic events decrease when total cholesterol or LDL-C is reduced. Our goal was to elucidate the effects of diet compared with a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor (pravastatin) on color perception using computerized chromatic analysis (CCA) and plasma cholesterol levels.


METHODS
We studied 191 normotensive patients (133 men and 58 women) with pre-study plasma cholesterol levels in excess of 200 mg/dl. Seventy of these patients were treated with the American Heart Association Step II diet for six months. The remaining 121 were treated with pravastatin, 61 patients with 10 mg and 60 patients with 40 mg. They were examined by CCA after excluding any general or ophthalmological pathology.


RESULTS
Chromatic vision recovered by 23% with diet, 38% with pravastatin 10 mg and 92% with pravastatin 40 mg.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed a strong association between therapeutic intervention with either diet or pravastatin and improved color vision.
Alcalá
Antonio
A
Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Biología Molecular. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad de Málaga. España. glia127@teleline.es
Morell
Miguel
M
Rius
Francisca
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D003119:Color Perception Tests; D003117:Color Vision Defects / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids; D017035:Pravastatin