COMPARISON OF THE EFFICACY AND VALUE OF B EZAFIBRATE AND SIMVASTATIN IN MIXED HYPERLIPIDEMIA

Bezafibrate and simvastatin were compared in 62 patients with mixed hy perlipidemia. Treatment duration was four months. Daily dosages were 4 00 mg and 10 mg, respectively, for the first two months; this dosage w as then doubled in patients whose triglyceride level was still greater than 1.5 g/l and/or whose total cholesterol level was greater than 2. 5 g/l. The two drugs induced comparable falls in serum levels of total cholesterol (-18% and -22%, respectively), LDL-cholesterol (-20% and -29%), and Apo B (-6% and -9%). Bezafibrate therapy was associated wit h greater decreases in triglyceride levels (-34%, versus -14% with sim vastatin) and greater increases in HDL-cholesterol levels (+17% vs +4% ). The aggregate effect of each drug on coronary risk and coronary mor bidity was then determined using a single criterion model based on dat a from the PROCAM study. This analysis showed that both drugs had comp arable favorable effects, suggesting that they may be of benefit in pa tients with mixed hyperlipidemia.