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Coenzyme A reductase inhibitors are the preferred treatment for hypercholesterolemia because they are potent cholesterol-lowering agents and have a good safety profile. This multicenter trial compares two such agents, simvastatin and pravastatin.
Researchers randomized 550 adults with primary hypercholesterolemia in 11 countries to receive 10 mg daily of either drug, titrated at 6-week intervals to a maximum of 40 mg daily. All patients also followed a lipid-lowering diet. After 18 weeks, patients given simvastatin had significantly lower total, LDL, and VLDL cholesterol levels, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL cholesterol levels than those who took pravastatin. In addition, more simvastatin- than pravastatin-treated patients achieved the…