Effect of Pravastatin in Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia in Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes Patients

To evaluate the efficacy of pravastatin in treatment of hypercholesterolemia in non-insulin-dependent diabetes patients, a 6-month trial of once daily 10 mg-pravastatin was studied in 30 patients with fairly, well controlled non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. For 27 patients who completed the study, serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly lower 16.7±2.3 and 20.2±3.3% from 286.7±5.9 and 198.6±7.2 mg/dl at before to 232.6±7.9 and 147.8±6.4 mg/dl at 4th week and 237.8±6.4 and 155.0±5.8 mg/dl at 24th week after treatment with pravastatin, respectively (P<0.00001). Serum triglyceride level was decreased from 194.7±16.8 mg/dl to 175.0±16.8 mg/dl at 4th week and 176.6±14.1 mg/dl at 24th week and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was slightly increased from 45.4±2.8 mg/dl to 48.2±2.5 mg/dl at 4th week and 47.5±2.6 mg/dl at 24th week of pravastatin treatment, respectively (P>0.05). There was no serious adverse effect except acute hepatitis in one patient who recovered spontaneously after drug withdrawal. Once daily 10 mg-pravastatin is effective in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.