Effects of Long‐Term Treatment with Probucol on Serum Lipoproteins in Cases of Familial Hypercholesterolemia in the Elderly

Abstract

The effect of probucol in lowering serum lipoprotein in young and middle-aged (YM) and elderly (E) patients with familial hypercholesterolemia were compared. Probucol at 1000 mg/day was administered orally to 37 YM patients and 14 E patients for an average of 10 months. Probucol treatment for this period caused significant reductions in the serum levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apoprotein AI, AII, B, and CIII in both groups. The decreases in the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C, and apoprotein B were greater in the E group than in the YM group (total cholesterol: YM, -19.3%, E, -31.3% [P less than .001]; LDL-C: YM, -17.0%, E, -35.4% [P less than .001]; apoprotein B: YM, -12.3%, E, -28.1% [P less than .01]). The decreases in other parameters in the two groups were not significantly different. The serum probucol concentrations in the YM and E groups were not significantly different. No significant side effects were observed in any patient. Thus probucol reduced the serum level of LDL more in the E group than in the YM group, and did so without any increase in the serum concentration of the drug or in side effects, suggesting that probucol is safe and beneficial for use in elderly patients.

Effect of antioxidant probucol for preventing stent restenosis

“…It is not clear if low HDL has a harmful long‐term effect, but a previous report [8] suggested that the HDL‐lowering effect is not associated with increased atherogenic risk but is similar to the apoprotein A‐1 Milano variant, in which similar HDL cholesterol levels are observed without atherogenic risk. Long‐term medication with probucol in the aforementioned study did not show any significant side effects during 10 to 18 months of medication [9, 10] and did not cause any significant side effects in our study patients.…”

Diabetic Control and Progression of Retinopathy in Elderly Patients: Five‐Year Follow‐up Study

“…Assay Methods Blood was collected from patients in the fasting state for measurements of serum lipids and HbA1c. The methods used for measuring serum lipids and HbA1c were reported elsewhere 9, 10 . In brief, HbA1c was measured by a high performance liquid chromatography method (Highauto‐A1c HA 8121, Kyoto‐Daiichi Co., Tokyo, Japan); intra‐assay coefficients of variation were 2.2–3.0% and inter‐assay, 2.4–2.6%.…”

Cholesterol Can be Lowered in Older Persons

“…In this issue of the journal, two articles demonstrate that cholesterol‐lowering drugs can effectively lower elevated cholesterol levels in persons aged 65 to 75 years 1 , 2 . Unfortunately these findings come at a time when the utility of lowering cholesterol in older individuals is being questioned.…”