Volume 37, Issue 6 p. 496-501

Short-Term Safety and Efficacy of Low-Dose Simvastatin in Elderly Patients with Hypertensive Hypercholesterolemia and Fasting Hyperinsulinemia

Dr. Paul Chan MD, PhD

Corresponding Author

Dr. Paul Chan MD, PhD

Division of Cardiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Taipei Medical College, Taipei Municipal Wan-Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

No. 87, Hsin Lung Road, Section 3, Wen Shan, Taipei, Taiwan 117.Search for more papers by this author
Dr. Tsuei-Yuen Huang MD

Dr. Tsuei-Yuen Huang MD

Department of Medicine, Chi-Mei Foundation Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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Dr. Brian Tomlinson MD

Dr. Brian Tomlinson MD

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

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Ms. Clarita Lee BSc

Ms. Clarita Lee BSc

Division of Cardiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Taipei Medical College, Taipei Municipal Wan-Fang Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

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Dr. Ying-Shiung Lee MD

Dr. Ying-Shiung Lee MD

Department of Medicine, Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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First published: 08 March 2013
Citations: 10

Abstract

To evaluate the short-term safety and efficacy of low-dose (10 mg) simvastatin in hypercholesterolemic, hypertensive elderly Chinese patients receiving antihypertensive treatment, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-month trial was conducted. The patients had a total plasma cholesterol level of at least 250 mg/dL and had been, for at least 3 months, consuming a standard lipid-lowering diet (American Heart Association Step 1 Diet). Elderly hypertensive patients (n = 76) were randomized to receive treatment with either placebo (n = 38) or simvastatin (n = 38). The dosage consisted of 10 mg simvastatin daily during the 3-month trial. During that period, in the simvastatin group, plasma levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly (27% and 33%, respectively) compared with those levels in plasma in the placebo group. The plasma levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol increased (7%), whereas triglyceride levels slightly decreased (8%). There were no serious side effects, and simvastatin was generally well tolerated. Fasting hyperinsulinemia also improved (–21%) after 3 months of simvastatin therapy. Results of this study confirmed that a low dose (10 mg) of simvastatin daily is a safe and effective method of reducing plasma levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic, hypertensive elderly patients receiving concurrent antihypertensive drug therapy, and that it has the additional potential benefit of reducing plasma levels of insulin.