EFFICACY OF PITAVASTATIN ALONE AND IN COMBINATION WITH EZETIMIBE ON LIPID PROFILE IN TYPE II DIABETES PATIENTS ON BIGUANIDE THERAPY

Abstract

Hyper (dys) lipidemia develop because of type II diabetes mellitus or cause it. Effort has been put into refining treatment strategies for diabetes and for the elevated lipid levels that induce many additional co-morbidities, both major and minor. Metformin, the most common biguanide prescribed to diabetics also has lipid lowering effects. A number of separate remedies have been tried and tested on animals and humans to try to manage lipid levels. However, the most popular choice to date are statin drugs that are able to reduce circulating lipid levels up to a point and require other drugs to reduce levels adequately. Ezetimibe has been proven effective in lowering lipid levels in type II diabetes in a number of clinical trials and could be a useful adjunct to pitavastatin. However, very few trials have been conducted on pitavastatin and ezetimibe efficacy on hyperlipidemia or dyslipidemia in type II diabetes. Moreover, all of the trials produced in search results were operated in Japan. Authors of the trials have suggested that more investigations on this topic should be conducted to confirm their findings. The objectives of this study were to assess the combined effects of pitavastatin and ezetimibe on lipid levels compared to pitavastatin alone in type II diabetics on biguanide therapy and to discover any correlations between HbA1c and lipid profile. The study was conducted in the Internal Medicine Department of a private hospital, NMC and the Internal Medicine Department of PNS Shifa hospital. 75 subjects of both genders suffering from type II diabetes were enrolled into the study. The sample was divided into three groups and their blood lipid levels were assessed before and after administration of the therapies. Results added to the information on treatment strategies of hyper(dys)lipidemia in type II diabetics on biguanide therapy and effects of pitavastatin alone and combined with ezetimibe on lipid profile. Both high dose pitavastatin and intermediate dose pitavastatin along with ezetimibe showed significant reduction of the lipid parameters