Review of clinical studies of fenofibrate in combination with currently approved lipid-lowering drugs.

Recent trials have investigated the usefulness of fenofibrate, alone and in combination with other lipid-lowering therapies, in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Studies of fenofibrate + bile acid sequestrants demonstrate that these two therapies may have an additive effect in reducing total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and triglyceride levels in patients with hyperlipoproteinemia or familial hypercholesterolemia. These lipoprotein changes have been associated with a regression of tendon xanthoma. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that bile acid sequestrants do not alter the absorption or the plasma levels of fenofibrate. The combined use of fenofibrate with bile acid sequestrants has been found to be comparably effective with the new 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, synvinolin, with respect to the reduction of total cholesterol and LDL. Although synvinolin was more effective in lowering LDL, VLDL cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced to a greater extent with fenofibrate. Another notable difference was that fenofibrate + bile acids more markedly increased HDL levels. The combination of fenofibrate + nicotinic acid also appears to have a beneficial effect on lipoproteins. These preliminary results indicate that fenofibrate may be a useful addition to the present lipid-lowering drug armamentarium.