Pentaerythritol tetranicotinate (niceritrol) decreases plasma lipoprotein(a) levels

• Published in: Metabolism, clinical and experimental clinical and experimental, 1997-04, Vol.46 (4), p.355-358
• Main Authors: Tanaka, Kouichi, Hayashi, Kozo, Shingu, Tetsuji, Kuga, Yoshio, Okura, Yoshifumi, Yasunobu, Yuji, Ohtani, Harumi, Nomura, Shuichi, Kurushima, Hitoshi, Saeki, Masayumi, Kambe, Masayuki, Kajiyama, Goro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Disorders of blood lipids. Hyperlipoproteinemia; Female; Humans; Hypolipidemic Agents - pharmacology; Lipoprotein(a) - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Middle Aged; Niceritrol - pharmacology; Triglycerides - blood
• ISSN: 0026-0495; 1532-8600
• DOI: 10.1016/S0026-0495(97)90046-9

We determined the most effective dosage of pentaerythritol tetranicotinate (niceritrol) to reduce plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels in 44 Japanese patients (16 men and 28 women; mean age, 59.2 ± 10.8 years) with hyperlipidemia types IIa, IIb, and IV. Patients received oral niceritrol at a dosage of 750 mg (3 tablets)/d for 8 weeks, followed by 1,500 mg (6 tablets)/d for 8 weeks. Administration of niceritrol 750 mg/d for 8 weeks decreased total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in patients with type IIa hyperlipidemia and decreased triglycerides in patients with type IV hyperlipidemia, but did not affect Lp(a). However, niceritrol 1,500 mg/d for 8 weeks decreased Lp(a) in patients with initial Lp(a) levels greater than 30 mg/dL in addition to decreasing total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. These results suggest that the effective dosage of niceritrol to reduce the serum Lp(a) concentration in Japanese hyperlipidemic patients with a high Lp(a) level (≥30 mg/dL) is greater than 1,500 mg/d.