Open AccessEffects of treatment with lovastatin and pravastatin on daytime cognitive performance
Author(s) -
Gengo Fran,
Cwudzinski Donna,
Kinkel Peter,
Block Gilbert,
Stauffer Laura,
Lines Chris
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960180406
Subject(s) - pravastatin , lovastatin , digit symbol substitution test , medicine , placebo , crossover study , endocrinology , hmg coa reductase , cholesterol , pharmacology , reductase , biochemistry , chemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , enzyme
The HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors lovastatin and pravastatin have both proven to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. To evaluate whether lovastatin or pravastatin might affect daytime cognitive function, a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, two‐period, incomplete block, crossover study was performed in 36 patients (24 per treatment) with primary hypercholesterolemia. Patients received placebo, Iovastatin (40 mg), or pravastatin (40 mg) for 4 weeks. Following a 1‐week washout period, patients were crossed over to either lovastatin, pravastatin, or placebo for an additional 4 weeks. Mental performance tests (digit symbol substitution, choice reaction time, auditory vigilance, selective reminding word recall, finger tapping), visual analogue rating scales, and the Profile of Mood States were administered before test drug administration and after 2 and 4 weeks of each treatment. After 4 weeks, no statistically significant differences between treatments in changes from baseline were observed on any parameter with the exception of digit symbol substitution, for which lovastatin and pravastatin were both significantly better than placebo but did not differ from each other. Low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol was reduced 38% by lovastatin and 30% by pravastatin. In summary, neither of these chemically distinct HMG‐CoA reductase inhibitors impaired daytime cognitive performance after 4 weeks of treatment in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia.