Yeungnam Univ J Med.  2003 Dec;20(2):152-159. 10.12701/yujm.2003.20.2.152.

Evaluation of short-term Hypolipidemic Effect and Safety of Simvastatin(Zocor(R)) in Patients with Hyperlipidemia

• Kim MK
• Park YH
• Park JS
• Shin DG
• Kim YJ
• Kim GS

• KMID: 2049760
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2003.20.2.152

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hyperlipidemia is the one of the major risk factors causing the atherosclerosis of coronary arteries. Treatment of hyperlipidemia with drugs has been confirmed the effects of therapy showing a decreased incidence of coronary artery disease. Simvastatin is a new drug of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and the short-term hypolipidemic effects and safety of simvastatin is evaluated in patients with hyperlipidemia.
METHODS
We studied 63 patients (39 males and 24 females, mean age 58) for 12 weeks whose plasma levels of total cholesterol were higher than 240 mg/dL or higher than 220 mg/dL with ischemic heart disease. Simvastatin was administered 20 mg/day and measured lipid profile at 12 week interval. RESULT: 1)Simvastatin significantly reduced the level of the plasma total cholesterol(-29.3%), LDL- cholesterol(-36.9%) and triglyceride(-13%)(p<0.05) but the level of HDL-cholesterol was not changed after 12 weeks simvastatin therapy. 2)the clinical symptoms and laboratory examination before and after simvastatin treatment showed no particular abnormal findings in short term follow up.
CONCLUSION
These results suggested that short-term simvastatin therapy in patients with hyperlipidemia seeems to be very effective and safe.

Keyword

Simvastatin; Hyperlipidemia

MeSH Terms

Atherosclerosis
Cholesterol
Coronary Artery Disease
Coronary Vessels
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
Hyperlipidemias*
Incidence
Male
Myocardial Ischemia
Plasma
Risk Factors
Simvastatin
Cholesterol
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
Simvastatin