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Clinical Trial
. 2003 Jan;26(1):18-24.
doi: 10.1002/clc.4960260105.

Effects of simvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, in patients with hypertriglyceridemia

Jonathan Isaacsohn  1 , Donald Hunninghake, Helmut Schrott, Carlos A Dujovne, Robert Knopp, Stuart R Weiss, Harold Bays, John R Crouse 3rd, Michael H Davidson, Leonard M Keilson, James McKenney, Stanley G Korenman, Adrian S Dobs, Evan Stein, Ronald M Krauss, Darbie Maccubbin, Meehyung Cho, Diane J Plotkin, Yale B Mitchel
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Effects of simvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, in patients with hypertriglyceridemia

Jonathan Isaacsohn et al. Clin Cardiol. 2003 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Patients with elevated levels of serum triglycerides (TG) often have other associated lipid abnormalities (e.g., low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]) and are at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease. Although the therapeutic benefits of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) in hypercholesterolemic patients have been well established, less is known about the effects of statins in patient populations with hypertriglyceridemia.

Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the lipoprotein-altering efficacy of simvastatin in hypertriglyceridemic patients.

Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. In all, 195 patients with fasting serum triglyceride levels between 300 and 900 mg/dl received once daily doses of placebo or simvastatin 20, 40, or 80 mg for 6 weeks.

Results: Compared with placebo, simvastatin treatment across all doses resulted in significant reductions (p < 0.05 - < 0.001) in serum levels of triglycerides (-20 to -31% decrease) and TG-rich lipoprotein particles. Significant (p < 0.001) reductions were also seen in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-25 to -35%) and non-HDL-C (-26 to -40%). Levels of HDL-C were increased (7-11%) in the simvastatin groups compared with placebo (p < 0.05 - < 0.001).

Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the beneficial effects of simvastatin in patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

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