Abstract
Effects of 12 months of simvastatin treatment were examined in 48 NIDDM patients with
total serum cholesterol levels exceeding 220 mg/dl and were compared with those in
35 nondiabetic patients with hypercholesterolemia. In the diabetic group, 5 ∼ 10 mg
of simvastatin given once daily at bedtime significantly lowered total cholesterol
(21%), LDL cholesterol (28%), apoB (15%) and triglycerides (8%) levels. These changes
were identical to those in the nondiabetic group, except for triglycerides which did
not change significantly. HDL cholesterol increased significantly in the nondiabetic
group but not in the diabetic group. The reductions in LDL cholesterol and apoB in
hypercholesterolemic patients with NIDDM were not influenced by gender, age, glycemic
control, the presence or absence of systemic hypertension, obesity and overt proteinuria.
In addition, the decrease in LDL cholesterol was not affected by the number of risk
factors per patient. Simvastatin did not significantly alter hemoglobin A1c or fasting
plasma glucose and was well tolerated in both groups. Simvastatin produced beneficial
effects on serum lipids and apolipoproteins and neutral effects on glycemic control
in hypercholesterolemic patients with NIDDM, whether or not they had an additional
atherosclerotic risk factor.
Key words
Simvastatin - Hypercholesterolemia - NIDDM - Multiple Risk Factors - LDL Cholesterol
