Reduction by niceritrol treatment of serum lipoprotein(a) in normolipidemic patients with coronary artery disease.

The effect of niceritrol at an ordinary dose (1500 mg/day) on the serum lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) concentration was investigated in 25 normolipidemic patients with coronary artery disease. The serum Lp(a) level was reduced by approximately 21% after 3 months of treatment (before treatment, 30.3 +/- 4.1 mg/100 ml; during treatment, 22.6 +/- 2.4 mg/100 ml; p < 0.01). By one month after the drug was discontinued, the Lp(a) returned to a pretreatment level (30.8 +/- 2.8 mg/100 ml). The levels of LDL-cholesterol and apoB were decreased significantly by the drug therapy; LDL-cholesterol increased closely to a pretreatment level after withdrawal of the drug. The percentage reduction of Lp(a) was significantly correlated with that of fibrinogen (r = 0.763, p < 0.01). Plasma concentration of fibrinogen was decreased in the patients whose reduction rate of Lp(a) was 30% or more. These results indicate that niceritrol has Lp(a)-lowering effect; sufficient reduction of Lp(a) may improve dyscoagulopathy of patients with coronary artery disease.