Hemorheologic and coagulative pattern in hypercholesterolemic subjects treated with lipid-lowering drugs

• Published in: Angiology Vol. 42; no. 2; p. 106
• Main Authors: Bo, M, Bonino, F, Neirotti, M, Gottero, M, Pernigotti, L, Molaschi, M, Fabris, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.1991
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anticholesteremic Agents - pharmacology; Anticholesteremic Agents - therapeutic use; Bezafibrate - pharmacology; Bezafibrate - therapeutic use; Blood Coagulation - drug effects; Blood Coagulation Factors - analysis; Cholesterol - blood; Female; Hemostasis - drug effects; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - drug therapy; Lovastatin - analogs & derivatives; Lovastatin - pharmacology; Lovastatin - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Simvastatin; Triglycerides - blood
• ISSN: 0003-3197
• DOI: 10.1177/000331979104200204

The effects on the coagulative and rheologic pattern of two lipid-lowering drugs, bezafibrate and simvastatin, were studied in 36 hypercholesterolemic subjects. Patients were randomly divided into two groups (18 subjects each) and received bezafibrate R 400 mg/day or simvatatin 10-40 mg/day over a twelve week period. Besides a decrease in plasma fibrinogen and fibrinopeptide A (p less than 0.001 both), bezafibrate induced a reduction of factor VIIc and VIIIc activity (p less than 0.001 both), while antithrombin 3 activity was increased (p less than 0.001) and the hemorheologic pattern was greatly improved (p less than 0.001). Simvastatin caused a slight decrease in factor VIIIc activity and a moderate reduction of beta-thromboglobulin. The efficacy of bezafibrate in reducing the activation of the coagulative cascade and improving the hemorheologic pattern has been confirmed; the peculiar triglycerides- and fibrinogen-lowering effect of the drug, not observed with simvastatin, could be responsible for these modifications.