LOVASTATIN DOES NOT AFFECT ORAL GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC PATIENTS

In 15 non-diabetic Type II hypercholesterolemic patients, the effect o f 80 mg lovastatin daily on oral glucose tolerance was investigated. U sing a randomized, double-blind, two-panel, parallel design, patients on a low cholesterol diet received lovastatin (n=7) or placebo (n=8) f or 6 weeks. After 6 weeks of treatment, patients receiving lovastatin had a significant reduction in total cholesterol (30%), LDL-cholestero l (36%), and triglycerides (26%). Time courses of plasma glucose and s erum insulin changes from baseline after the oral glucose tolerance te st were evaluated by AUC. No statistically significant differences wer e observed in the AUC of changes from baseline between treatment group s or within either treatment group at prestudy, 6 weeks, and poststudy . No patient had a clinically important laboratory or clinical drug-re lated adverse effect during the study. This study demonstrated that sh ort-term administration of 80 mg lovastatin daily effectively lowers c holesterol without having adverse effects on oral glucose tolerance.