Dilshad Ahmed Khan, Farooq Ahmad Khan, Aamir Ijaz, Asaf Ali Qureshi, Muhammad Dilawar, Masood Anwar.
Cholesterol lowering effects of lovastatin and tocotrienols
Pak J Pathol Jul - Sep 2004;15(3):93-9.
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi

A double-blind clinical trial was planed to evaluate the effects of low dose of lovastatin and `tocotrienols on serum cholesterol and lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemic human volunteers using American Heart Association Step-1 diet (AHA Step1 diet). The study was carried out at AFIP, Rawalpindi. Twenty-eight hypercholesterolemic subjects with serum cholesterol > 6.2 mmol/I were included in the study. They were given AHA Step-1 diet for four weeks (phase-1) and lovastatin (20 mg/day) was added for next four weeks (phase II). The subjects were then divided into two equal groups A and B. Subjects of group A were given lovastatin + tocotrienols daily and those of group B were given lovastatin + (t-tocopherol daily for four weeks (phase-III). In phase IV, subjects of the two groups were crossed-over. Lipoprotein coronary risk factors e.g. serum total cholesterol, LDLcholesterol, HDL-cholesterol Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] and triglycerides were analysed in these subjects by routine methods. Lovastatin treatment during phase II showed a drop in serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides by 16%, 23% and 11% in group-A respectively and 14%, 20% and 10% in group-B respectively (p < 0.05). Addition of tocotrienols in group-A subject during phase-111, further decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides levels to 25%, 34% and 14% respectively (p <0.05). This group did not show any significant change in phase IV as compared to phase 111. There was insignificant increased in serum total and LDL-cholesterol level during phase- Ill in group-B. However, in phase IV subjects in group-B experienced reductions in serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides by 21%, 29% and 13% respectively (p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in serum HDL-cholesterol and Lp (a) levels throughout study. It is concluded that low dose combined therapy of lovastatin and tocotrienols have synergistic cholesterol-lowering effects in hypercholesterolaemic subjects without any adverse effects.

Category: Pharmacology
Keywords: Hypercholesterolemia. Cholesterol. Lipoproteins. Lovastatin. Tocotrienols. Tocopherol.

Click here for Full Text Article

This article has been viewed 316 times

Submit your Research Synopsis for Free Expert analysis - Search- Feedback - Drug Index
Post and View Comments on this Article