Lovastatin efficacy in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels on high- vs low-fat diets
M. M. Cobb, H. S. Teitelbaum and J. L. Breslow
Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics, Rockefeller University, New York, NY.
The effectiveness of lovastatin was compared with both a high-fat vs
low-fat diet. Hypercholesterolemic subjects were studied under metabolic
ward conditions for diet periods of 3 weeks while receiving lovastatin (40
mg/d) or placebo. Multiple lipoprotein levels were measured during the
final week of each diet period. Nineteen subjects completed the study on
the high-fat (43% of kilojoules) diet and 16 on the low-fat (25% of
kilojoules) diet. Lovastatin reduced total cholesterol by 23% and
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 30%, compared with placebo on both
diets, with no significant diet-drug interaction. High-density lipoprotein
cholesterol was raised by 7% to 8% on the diet regimens. Addition of
lovastatin to the low-fat diet permitted 80% of subjects on this diet, but
less than 50% of those on the high-fat diet, to achieve current guidelines.
Although lovastatin produces a comparable percentage reduction in
lipoprotein profiles on either diet, the accompanying low-fat diet remains
advisable for additional reduction of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
levels to specified goals.
