EFFECTIVENESS OF LOW-DOSE LOVASTATIN COMBINED WITH LOW-DOSE COLESTIPOL IN MODERATE TO SEVERE PRIMARY HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA

The effect of the combination of low-dose lovastatin and low-dose cole stipol was studied among 57 subjects with moderate to severe primary h ypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol greater-than-or-equal-to 7.0 m mol l-1). Following an 8-week dietary phase, participants were randomi zed to treatment with 20 mg of lovastatin combined with 5 g or with 10 g of colestipol, or to matching placebo. Baseline total cholesterol w as 7.7 +/- 0.9 mmol l-1 after dietary stabilization. Total cholesterol levels were reduced to 5.6 +/- 0.7 mmol l-1 and 5.8 +/- 0.7 mmol l-1 after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment in the lovastatin 5 g-1 colestipol gr oup, and 74% of the subjects achieved the goal of low density lipoprot ein (LDL) cholesterol levels of greater-than-or-equal-to 4.0 mmol l-1. Among the lovastatin 10 g-1 colestipol group, total cholesterol was r educed to 5.4 +/- 0.5 mmol l-1 and 5.5 +/- 0.9 mmol l-1 following 4 an d 8 weeks, and 80% of subjects achieved the LDL cholesterol goal. No c hange was seen in the placebo group. Thus, low-dose combination therap y with lovastatin and colestipol, in conjunction with dietary treatmen t, is effective in moderate to severe primary hypercholesterolaemia, a nd is well tolerated.