Abstract
Aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide have been reported to attenuate the action of rosuvastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, but the mechanism is not fully understood. Lanthanum carbonate contains the polyvalent metal lanthanum, which may interact similarly with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. Therefore, we surveyed 29 patients being treated chronically with rosuvastatin who began treatment with lanthanum carbonate. The study consisted of 29 patients, further investigated six patients in the rosuvastatin group and 23 patients in the non-rosuvastatin group. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in all subjects before and after the start of treatment with lanthanum carbonate were 73.0±19.8 mg/dL and 72.8±22.6 mg/dL, respectively (p = 0.498). LDL cholesterol levels have observed no changes during the investigation period. This has been similar in the rosuvastatin and non-rosuvastatin groups. Serum phosphorus levels in all subjects before and after the start of lanthanum carbonate treatment were 6.6±0.9 mg/dL and 5.4±1.2 mg/dL, respectively (p＜0.01). In the rosuvastatin group, the corresponding levels were 6.2±0.8 mg/dL and 5.0±1.0 mg/dL before and after the start of treatment with lanthanum. In the non-rosuvastatin group, the corresponding levels were 6.7±0.9 mg/dL and 5.5±1.2 mg/dL before and after the start of treatment with lanthanum, with a significant reduction in the levels being observed during the investigation period (p<0.01). LDL cholesterol levels were almost unchanged in all subjects examined, and the serum phosphorus levels decreased in all subjects examined. Therefore, our results suggest that the combined use of lanthanum carbonate and rosuvastatin does not affect the clinical effect of either medication.
