VITAMIN E SUPPLEMENT BLOCKS THE RESPONSE OF HDL TO LOVASTATIN THERAPY IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC PATIENTS

Hdl can prevent ldl-c oxidation. the low hdl-c state also may benefit clinicallyfrom supplemented antioxidant. this study was designed to evaluate the combination therapy ofstatin and vitamin e in hypercholesterolemic patients. the patients were randomized in a clinicaltrial aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin e and/or statin. the life style of patients didn’t alterduring intervention. the subjects were randomized to two treatment groups a and b: (1) lovastatin20 mg daily at bedtime (group a); (2) vitamin e 400 iu daily plus lovastatin 20 mg daily (groupb). the lipid values of each patient at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment were compared bypaired t test. the mean baseline lipid levels for 60 subjects were as follows: plasma cholesterol,triglyceride, ldl-c and hdl-c 285 ± 68, 268 ± 121, 158 ± 32, 49 ± 11 mg/dl respectively. serumlipid levels changes in group a (statin only) and in group b (statin and vitamin e) werestatistically significant. in comparison of lipid profiles changes between two groups we observedthat hdl-c changes in group b were significantly lower than in group a. vitamin e supplementblocks the response of hdl-c to lovastatin therapy in hypercholesterolemic patients.