REDUCTION BY NICERITROL TREATMENT OF SERUM LIPOPROTEIN(A) IN NORMOLIPIDEMIC PATIENTS WITH CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

The effect of niceritrol at an ordinary dose (1500 mg/day) on the seru m lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) concentration was investigated in 25 normolip idemic patients with coronary artery disease. The serum Lp(a) level wa s reduced by approximately 21% after 3 months of treatment (before tre atment, 30.3+/-4.1 mg/100 ml; during treatment, 22.6+/-2.4 mg/100 ml; p<0.01). By one month after the drug was discontinued, the Lp(a) retur ned to a pretreatment level (30.8+/-2.8 mg/100 ml). The levels of LDL- cholesterol and apoB were decreased significantly by the drug therapy; LDL-cholesterol increased closely to a pretreatment level after withd rawal of the drug. The percentage reduction of Lp(a) was significantly correlated with that of fibrinogen (r=0.763, p<0.01). Plasma concentr ation of fibrinogen was decreased in the patients whose reduction rate of Lp(a) was 30% or more. These results indicate that niceritrol has Lp(a)-lowering effect; sufficient reduction of Lp(a) may improve dysco agulopathy of patients with coronary artery disease.