Effects of long-term treatment with probucol on serum lipoproteins in cases of familial hypercholesterolemia in the elderly.

The effect of probucol in lowering serum lipoprotein in young and middle-aged (YM) and elderly (E) patients with familial hypercholesterolemia were compared. Probucol at 1000 mg/day was administered orally to 37 YM patients and 14 E patients for an average of 10 months. Probucol treatment for this period caused significant reductions in the serum levels of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apoprotein AI, AII, B, and CIII in both groups. The decreases in the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-C, and apoprotein B were greater in the E group than in the YM group (total cholesterol: YM, -19.3%, E, -31.3% [P less than .001]; LDL-C: YM, -17.0%, E, -35.4% [P less than .001]; apoprotein B: YM, -12.3%, E, -28.1% [P less than .01]). The decreases in other parameters in the two groups were not significantly different. The serum probucol concentrations in the YM and E groups were not significantly different. No significant side effects were observed in any patient. Thus probucol reduced the serum level of LDL more in the E group than in the YM group, and did so without any increase in the serum concentration of the drug or in side effects, suggesting that probucol is safe and beneficial for use in elderly patients.