One-year study of the effect of bezafibrate on serum lipoprotein concentrations in hyperlipoproteinaemia.

The effect of bezafibrate (2-(4-[2-(4-chlorobenzamido)-ethyl]-phenoxy)-2-methylporopionic acid) (450 mg daily) on serum lipoprotein concentrations was studied for 1 year in 14 subjects with hyperlipoproteinaemia (3 of type II A, 2 of type II B, 2 of type III and 7 of type IV). After 2 months serum cholesterol decreased from 7.12--6.08 mmoles/l (15% P less than 0.01), triglycerides from 2.52--1.96 mmoles/l (22%, P less than 0.01), very low density lipoprotein triglycerides from 1.48--0.86 mmoles/l (42%, P less than 0.01) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol from 5.00--3.81 mmoles/l (24%, P less than 0.01). While triglyceride concentrations of serum and lipoproteins remained constant for 1 year, serum and LDL cholesterol concentrations increased slightly after 6 and 12 months. The former rise was partly due also to a rise of the possibly beneficial high density lipoprotein cholesterol from 1.27--1.68 mmoles/l (32%, P less than 0.01) after 6 months, making the effect on total cholesterol less pronounced. Subjective side-effects were nausea in one patient. No severe biochemical side-effects were noted.