Gefarnate Enhances Lipid Control in Statin-Treated CAD Patients with High Triglycerides, Study Finds

Preventing CAD comes with two major challenges: gastrointestinal problems caused by aspirin and ongoing heart risks even after taking statins. Gefarnate, an anti-ulcer medication, may help address these issues. Research suggests that geraniol, a component of gefarnate, could play a role in managing lipid levels in the body through different processes. Considering this, Guang-Zhong LIU, Department of Cardiology, Shenzhen People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China, and colleagues aimed to evaluate how gefarnate affects lipid levels in CAD patients already on statin treatment but still have high triglyceride levels.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial involving 69 statin-treated CAD patients with high triglyceride levels. Participants were randomly assigned to either the gefarnate group or the control group. Those in the gefarnate group received 100 mg of gefarnate three times a day alongside their statin, while the control group received only the statin.

The researchers measured plasma levels of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol at the beginning of the study and after one month of treatment.

The study led to the following findings:

• After one-month gefarnate treatment, triglyceride level was significantly lowered from 2.64 mmol/L to 2.12 mmol/L, LDL-C level reduced from 2.7 mmol/L to 2.37 mmol/L, HDL-C level increased from 0.97 mmol/L to 1.17 mmol/L.
• Based on statin therapy, gefarnate could significantly reduce the plasma triglyceride level and increase the plasma HDL-C level.
• Although the LDL-C and total cholesterol levels tended to decrease, there was no statistically significant difference.

Our study had limitations: it was open-label with a small sample size and short follow-up. The long-term effects of gefarnate on lipid levels and cardiovascular risk need further research.

In conclusion, the researchers conducted a randomized controlled study to examine the lipid-lowering benefits of gefarnate in CAD patients on statin therapy with residual hypertriglyceridemia and its safety.

"Our findings indicated that gefarnate effectively reduced plasma triglycerides and increased HDL-C levels. We hope this study offers insights into the potential role of gefarnate in treating dyslipidemia and lowering residual cardiovascular risk," the researchers concluded.

"The investigators believe this study will offer important insights into gefarnate's potential role in treating dyslipidemia and reducing residual cardiovascular risk," they stated. 

Reference:

SHI J, XU M-L, HE M-J, et al. Lipid-lowering effects of gefarnate in statin-treated patients with residual hypertriglyceridemia: a randomized controlled study. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, 2024, 21(8): 791-798. https://doi.org/10.26599/1671-5411.2024.08.001