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POLYDRUG THERAPY FOR FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIA.

Severe hypercholesterolemia often cannot be controlled with maximal doses of a single agent, but the effects of multiple-drug therapy in such cases are uncertain. Thus, these investigators evaluated various combinations of lovastatin (20 or 40 mg twice daily), colestipol hydrochloride (10 g twice daily), and probucol (500 mg twice daily) in 17 patients with severe familial hypercholesterolemia. The most effective single agent was lovastatin (at 40 mg) which lowered low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 36 percent. The addition of colestipol to lovastatin led to a 52 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol. Probucol did not enhance the effects of lovastatin with or without colestipol.

The authors conclude that colestipol and lovastatin are an effective combination, but that further gains from the addition of probucol should not be expected.

— THL

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine January 27, 1989

Citation(s):

Witztum JL et al. Intensive combination drug therapy of familial hypercholesterolemia with lovastatin, probucol, and colestipol hydrochloride. Circulation 1989 Jan 79 16-28.

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