COMBINED THERAPY WITH PROBUCOL AND PRAVASTATIN IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA - ONE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

The effect of co-administration of low doses of pravastatin to hyperch olesterolaemic patients already receiving long-term probucol treatment (mean 500-1,000 mg/day for 350 days) were investigated. Pravastatin 5 mg/day (Group 1; 12 m, 13 f; mean age 59.1 y) or 10 mg/day (Group 2; 8 m, 11 f; mean age 60.8 y) was administered, and blood was taken afte r 0, 3, 6, and 12 months. Both groups showed a significant reduction i n serum total cholesterol (TC), phospholipid (PL), low density lipopro tein-cholesterol (LDL-C), LDL-triglyceride (TG), LDL-PL, apolipoprotei n (apo) B, and apo E after the combined therapy. These levels were red uced more in Group 2 than in Group 1 subjects. In Group 2, significant falls in serum TG and apo CII were also observed. The changes in TC, PL, LDL-C, apo B, apo CII and apo E were dependent upon the dose of pr avastatin, as assessed by two-way analysis of variance. Serum high den sity lipoprotein (HDL)3-C, apo AI and apo AII were slightly but signif icantly increased in both groups after 12 months of combined therapy, but the increase was not sufficient to reverse the probucol-induced lo wering of the HDL level. We conclude that combined therapy resulted in a significant reduction in atherogenic lipoproteins and apolipoprotei ns, and an increasing dose of pravastatin (5 mg to 10 mg daily) made t he lipid lowering effect more prominent. The reduction in serum HDL-C due to long-term probucol administration was not reversed by the addit ion of pravastatin.