EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITH LOVASTATIN AND PRAVASTATIN ON DAYTIME COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors lovastatin and pravastatin have both proven to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of hypercho lesterolemia. To evaluate whether lovastatin or pravastatin might affe ct daytime cognitive function, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two -period, incomplete block, crossover study was performed in 36 patient s (24 per treatment) with primary hypercholesterolemia. Patients recei ved placebo, lovastatin (40 mg), or pravastatinn (40 mg) for 4 weeks. Following a 1-week washout period, patients were crossed over to eithe r lovastatin, pravastatin, or placebo for an additional 4 weeks. Menta l performance tests (digit symbol substitution, choice reaction time, auditory vigilance, selective reminding word recall, finger tapping), visual analogue rating scales, and the Profile of Mood States were adm inistered before test drug administration and after 2 and 4 weeks of e ach treatment. After 4 weeks, no statistically significant differences between treatments in changes from baseline were: observed on any par ameter with the exception of digit symbol substitution, for which lova statin and pravastatin were both significantly better than placebo but did not differ from each other Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol wa s reduced 38% by lovastatin and 30% by pravastatin. In summary, neithe r of these chemically distinct HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors impaired d aytime cognitive performance after 4 weeks of treatment in patients wi th primary hypercholesterolemia.