Korean Circ J.  1993 Feb;23(1):136-141. 10.4070/kcj.1993.23.1.136.

Effects of short-term pravastatin therapy in patients with hyperlipidemia

• Park JW
• Ryu KH
• Lim CY
• Koh YB
• Lee Y

• KMID: 2229203
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.1993.23.1.136

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Pravastatin, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, has been known to be the most effective drug in patients with hypercholesterolemia. We studied the effectiveness and side effects of this drug. METHODS: We studied twenty four patients(8 males, 16 females), with pravastatin 5mg bid for 8 weeks, whose fasting serum total cholesterol levels were higher than 240mg/dl on the first visit. Lipid profiles were checked at 2 weeks interval for 8 weeks and compared with baseline level individually. RESULTS: Among lipid profiles, pravastatin significantly decreased the total cholesterol from 282.8mg/dL to 224.5mg/dL(reduction rate, 21%), the LDL cholesterol from 197.2mg/dL to 143.8mg/dL(27%), the total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio from 6.2 to 4.6(25%), and the LDL cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio from 4.1 to 2.7 (34%). These changes were statistically significant(p<0.05). Triglyceride and HDL cholesterol showed no significant changes compared to baseline levels during treatment. The clinical and laboratory findings after treatment did not show serious abnormalities except two patients who dropped out due to side effect such as constipation and skin eruption. CONCLUSION: Results from the present study show that short-term pravastatin therapy seems to be effective and safe in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Keyword

Hypercholesterolemia; Pravastatin

MeSH Terms

Cholesterol
Cholesterol, HDL
Cholesterol, LDL
Constipation
Fasting
Humans
Hypercholesterolemia
Hyperlipidemias*
Male
Oxidoreductases
Pravastatin*
Skin
Triglycerides
Cholesterol
Cholesterol, HDL
Cholesterol, LDL
Oxidoreductases
Pravastatin