To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Simvastatin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, We ibsweved the changes of clinical characteristics and lipid profiles after Simvastatin administration in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Simvastatin 10mg was given once daily for 12 weeks in 35 patients (60±6.0 years : 14 male, 21 female) with hypercholesterolemia. High density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was increased from 38±10 to 45±9mg/dl(p<0.05). Simvastatin significantly decreased total cholesterol(TC) from 235±15 to 181±21mg/dl(23.0%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from 164±19 to 104±18mg/dl(36.5%), TC/HDL-C from 7.0±2.0 to 4.4±1.1, LDL-C/HDL-C from 4.9±1.7 to 2.5±0.8(p<0.01 respectively). Apo B was decreased by 31%(119±19 to 87±15mg/dl), apo B/A1 ratio was decreased by 41%(1.2±0.2 to 0.7±0.2) amd lipoprotein(a) edcreased by 12%(33±22 to 29±17), while apo A1 was increased by 25%(104±18 to 130±23mg/dl, p<0.01 respectively). No patients complained of chest pain, but two had skin rashes. Creatine kinase and creatinine were not changed in all patients.

Somvastatin is an effective and well tolerated cholesterol lowering agent in patients with hypercholesterolemia.