Elevation of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (cHDL) and reduction of the total cholesterol/cHDL index in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinaemias IIb and IV with bezafibrate.

A study was carried out in 21 patients with Type IIb or Type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia to evaluate the effect of treatment with 600 mg bezafibrate per day over a period of 3 months. The results of the lipid parameters studied showed that there were significant reductions after 1 and 3-months' treatment, respectively, of 19% and 16% total cholesterol, 55% and 57% triglycerides, 19% and 15% calculated cLDL, and 55% and 58% calculated cVLDL. Over the same times, there was a significant increase in cHDL of 35% and 41%, respectively. The cT/cHDL index decreased significantly from a mean basal value of 7.81 +/- 1.44 to 4.76 +/- 0.96 after 1 month and to 4.75 +/- 0.90 after 3 months, corresponding to a 39% reduction in both instances. This index was reduced to 5.0 or less in 76% of the patients. At the end of the trial there was normalization of hyperlipoproteinaemia in 17 (81%) of the 21 patients. Tolerance of bezafibrate was satisfactory. Only 2 patients suffered mild abdominal pain, which disappeared within a few days. One patient presented slight, transitory neutropenia at the end of the 3 months of treatment.