MAGNESIUM PYRIDOXAL-5'-PHOSPHATE GLUTAMATE, A VITAMIN-B-6 DERIVATIVE,DOES NOT AFFECT LIPOPROTEIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

Objective: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dose- finding study we assessed the short-term efficacy and safety of increa sing dosages of magnesium pyridoxal-5'-phosphate glutamate (MPPG) comp ared to placebo in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). Twenty-three patients of either sex, over the age of 18 years and suff ering from heterozygous FH, were treated with MPPG for a period of 16 weeks. Results: Baseline characteristics and lipoprotein profiles of t he patients were comparable in the two treatment groups. Overall compl iance was 90%. Neither after the first 8 weeks treatment period with 4 50 mg MPPG daily nor after the second 8 weeks treatment period with 60 0 mg MPPG daily were statistically significant changes in plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglyceride levels observed between the treatment and placebo groups. Plasma levels of lipoprotein (Lp)(a) , apolipoprotein (apo) A(1), apo B-100, very low density lipoprotein ( VLDL) cholesterol and VLDL triglyceride also did not change. Conclusio n: Although it has been demonstrated that MPPG improves lipoprotein le vels in patients with different forms of dyslipidaemia, MPPG is not ef fective for the treatment of FH patients.