A comparative study of policosanol versus simvastatin in elderly patients with hypercholesterolemia

Fifty-three elderly patients (60 to 77 years of age) with primary hypercholesterolemia (total serum cholesterol greater than or equal to 240 mg/dL) were enrolled in a randomized, double-masked, parallel-group, comparative study of policosanol - a new cholesterol-lowering agent obtained from sugarcane wax - and simvastatin. Before randomization, all patients were advised to follow a standard cholesterol-lowering diet for 6 weeks. Patients were randomized to receive either policosanol or simvastatin, both at doses of 10 mg/d for 8 weeks. With policosanol, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglycerides were significantly reduced 14.7%, 17.9%, and 13.8%, respectively. Simvastatin significantly lowered total cholesterol 15.2%, LDL-C 19.8%, and triglycerides 8.7%. Neither policosanol nor simvastatin significantly changed high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Total cholesterol:HDL-C and LDL-C:HDL-C ratios were significantly lowered by both therapies. The effects of both drugs on lipid profile variables were statistically similar. Both drugs were web tolerated. No patients were withdrawn from the trial because of adverse experiences and only two, one in each group, reported an adverse effect: (headache). It is concluded that both drugs are adequate alternatives for treating hypercholesterolemia in elderly patients.