COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTS ON QUALITY-OF-LIFE AND OF THE EFFICACY AND TOLERABILITY OF LOVASTATIN VERSUS PRAVASTATIN

This multicenter study compared the effects of lovastatin (40 mg) and pravastatin (40 mg) on quality of life. Men, aged 20 to 65 years old, with primary hypercholesterolemia (types IIa and IIb) were eligible fo r enrollment if baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol met the f irst National Cholesterol Education Program adult treatment guidelines . Eligible patients were enrolled into a 6-week diet baseline period, followed by a p-week diet-plus-placebo period. Patients whose low-dens ity lipoprotein cholesterol still met National Cholesterol Education P rogram guidelines for drug therapy were randomized into the double-bli nd, active-treatment period to receive either lovastatin 40 mg or prav astatin 40 mg/day for 12 weeks. Clinic visits were scheduled every 4 w eeks and included complete serum lipid profiles, monitoring of adverse experiences, and patient completion of health-related quality-of-life questionnaires. The primary end point of the study was the change in quality of life, as measured by the Nottingham Health Profile (part 1) after 12 week of treatment. Secondary end points included responses t o a general health question from the National Health and Nutrition Exa mination Survey, sexual function questions from the Medical Outcomes S tudy, and stress/life event questions from the National institutes of Health Post-Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Study. No significant diff erences between the 2 groups were observed in tolerability, health-rel ated quality-of-life measures, or changes in lipid profiles.