Abstract
We studied the erect of large doses of niceritrol in 120 patients with hypercholesterolemia. The dose of niceritrol was increased every 4 weeks from 750mg, through 1, 500mg and 2, 250mg to 3, 000mg/day. The final dose was adjusted to obtain good control or good compliance of each patient. Four groups of patients were established according to the final dose.
Serum cholesterol decreased 1.8%, 8.1 %, 11.9%, and 13.2%, and HDL-cholesterol increased 6.3%, 16.9%, 18.4%, and 13.8% with the dose of 750mg, 1, 500mg, 2, 250mg, and 3, 000mg/day, respectively. In 23 patients at the final dose of 2, 250mg/day, whose initial cholesterol levels were higher than 240mg/dl, the serum cholesterol level reduced 16%. In 21 patients of the same group, whose initial LDL-cholesterol levels were higher than 150mg/dl, the reduction rate in LDL-cholesterol was 21%.
Side effects were found in 17.5% of the subjects. There was no difference in the frequency of the side effects among the 4 groups.
This study indicates that a large dose of niceritrol administer in gradually increasing doses leads to a significant reduction in serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels and a significant increment in HDL-cholesterol level without increased side effects.
