Effects of simvastatin only or in combination with continuous combined hormone replacement therapy on serum lipid levels in hypercholesterolaemic post-menopausal women

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Abstract
Aims To evaluate the effects of simvastatin only or combined with continuous hormone replacement therapy on the serum lipid profile in hypercholesterolaemic post-menopausal women. Methods and Results One hundred hypercholesterolaemic post-menopausal women were given either simvastatin 10mg daily together with oestrogen 0·625mg and medroxyprogesterone 2·5mg daily (HRT+simvastatin group) (n:50) or simvastatin 10mg daily (simvastatin only group) (n:50) in a prospective manner. Serum total, low density lipoprotein, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured at baseline, at 3 and 6 months. The initial mean (±SD) cholesterol values were as follows for the HRT+simvastatin group and the simvastatin only group, respectively: total cholesterol 240·0±28·0 and 248·9±28·2mg.dl−1; low density lipoprotein cholesterol 174·7±25·6 and 175·1±25·9mg.dl−1; high density lipoprotein cholesterol 37·2±5·0 and 39·9±7·3mg.dl−1. Compared with the baseline, total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased; and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased significantly at 3 and 6 months in both groups. However, the mean percent reduction in total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly greater in the HRT+ simvastatin group compared with the simvastatin only group both at 3 months (12·3±7·0% vs 8·9±6·2%;PP< 0·005, respectively) and at 6 months (14·6±7·7% vs 11·3±7·4%;PPPPConclusion The combination of simvastatin and continuous combined hormone replacement therapy seems to be more effective than simvastatin only in the treatment of hypercholesterolaemia in post-menopausal women.

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