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ABSTRACT:
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the comparative
dose efficacy of the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl coenzyme A(HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor
Atorvastatin 10mg compared with Simvastatin and Lovastatin of the same potency.
BACKGROUND: Atorvastatin has multiple mechanisms of action and longer half life
that could potentially contribute to its better efficacy as compared to other statins. We
conducted a randomized, open lable, prospective study to assess the efficacy of tab
Atorvastatin in hyperlipidemic patients of Pakistani population as compared to Simvastatin
and Lovastatin of the same potency.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients diagnosed with primary hyperlipidemia and,
having total cholesterol more than 200mg/dl and triglycerides levels <400mg/dl were
enrolled (66) and divided into three groups. Group DR1 received tab Atorvastatin 10
mg, DR2 received tab Simvastatin 10 mg, and DR3 received tab Lovastatin 10 mg for
90 days. These patients were on lipid lowering diet but were not normalized in term of
LDL-cholesterol. At the end of study period the parameters examined were serum low-
density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein
cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TGs) levels.
RESULTS: Atorvastatin at a dose of 10mg/day produced: (1) a significant reduction in
LDL-cholesterol (-35.97%) in comparison with equivalent doses of Simvastatin (-27.22%),
and Lovastatin (-23.75%); (2) a significantly greater reduction in total cholesterol (-
27.58%) than that obtained with Simvastatin (-20.00%), and Lovastatin (-18.03%); (3)
HDL-cholesterol increase (8.12%) comparable to or greater than those obtained with
Simvastatin (7.81%), and Lovastatin (6.54%); (4) a significantly greater reduction in
triglycerides than obtained with other two drugs. All the three reductase had similar
levels of tolerance.
CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin in the most effective drug to reduce serum cholesterol,
serum triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol and to increase HDL