EFFECTS OF ANTIHYPERLIPIDEMIC DRUGS AND DIET PLUS EXERCISE THERAPY INTHE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH MODERATE HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

We compared the efficacy of two antihyperlipidemic drugs and the effic acy of diet plus exercise therapy in the treatment of patients with mo derate hypercholesterolemia. The study included 48 patients with moder ate hypercholesterolemia (serum total cholesterol [TC], 250 to 320 mg/ dL). Patients were divided into three groups: group A-patients adminis tered 10 mg/d of pravastatin; group B-patients administered 500 mg/d o f probucol and 600 mg/d of pantethine; and group C-patients administer ed diet plus exercise therapy. The serum TC and serum high-density lip oprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) values were determined via enzymatic meth ods before initiation of each therapy and after 4 and 8 weeks of thera py. An atherogenic index (AI) was also calculated. The results indicat ed that TC showed a statistically significant decrease in all three gr oups at 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively); the HDL- C value did not change significantly in groups A and C, but it had a s tatistically significant decrease in group B at 4 and 8 weeks. The Al showed a statistically significant decrease in group A at 4 and 8 week s of treatment and group C at 8 weeks; there were no significant chang es in AI in group B. It may be concluded that as an antihyperlipidemic agent, pravastatin is more useful than probucol and that appropriate exercise and strict dietary management for 8 weeks achieve an efficacy close to that achieved by drug therapy.