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Long‐Term Oral Administration of Probucol [4, 4‘‐(Isopropylidenedithio) bis (2, 6‐di‐t‐Butylphenol)] (DH‐581) in the Management of Hypercholesterolemia *
Author(s) -
HARRIS ROBERT S.,
GILMORE HUGH R.,
BRICKER LEE A.,
KIEM IRIS M.,
RUBIN EDWARD
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1974.tb02163.x
Subject(s) - probucol , medicine , triglyceride , gastroenterology , cholesterol , prothrombin time , endocrinology
Fifty patients who received a new hypocholesterolemic agent, probucol, in a dosage of 0.5 gm twice daily, were studied for one year. Mean pretreatment serum cholesterol and triglyceride values were 329 mg/100 ml and 360 mg/100 ml respectively. Baseline lipoprotein electrophoreses showed 17 Fredrickson phenotypic patterns of type 2, 6 of type 3, 10 of type 4, 3 of type 5, and 14 non‐definitive patterns. After twelve months of treatment with probucol, the mean serum cholesterol level was 263 mg/100 ml (a minus 20 per cent change) and the mean triglyceride level was 293 mg/100 ml (a minus 19 per cent change) for all patients. The median baseline cholesterol level was 311 mg/100 ml and the median cholesterol value during twelve months of therapy was 252 mg/100 ml, a reduction of 19 per cent. The median baseline triglyceride level was 174 mg/100 ml and the median triglyceride value during twelve months of therapy was 147 mg/100 ml, a reduction of 16 per cent. Significant changes were noted in the serum lipoprotein patterns; the majority of type 2 and type 3 changed to the non‐definitive pattern, but the majority of type 4 and type 5 remained unchanged. Seven patients had xanthelasmas, but all these lesions decreased in size and 3 lesions disappeared during probucol therapy. Side effects were minimal. About a third of the patients had mild transient flatulence or slight transient eosinophilia. There was no effect on prothrombin time. Probucol appears to be a safe and effective hypolipidemic agent. It can also induce changes in serum lipoprotein patterns and markedly reduce the size of xanthelasmas.