PURPOSE: To compare the prevalence of risk factors, and the response to pravastatin treatment between men and women. METHODS: We evaluated 486 men and 386 women, of these 230 men and 187 women received 10mg of pravastatin for three months. RESULTS: There were differences between women and men in respectively: arterial hypertension (45.5% vs 40.8%; p=0.0012), left ventricular hypertrophy (33.0% vs 22.0%; p=0.0041), sedentarism (94.8% vs 87.8%; p=0.0005), smoking (43.0% vs 61.8%; p<0.0001), Framingham scores (20.0±7.1 vs 16.0±7.6 p<0.001), HDL-C (43.0±11.0 vs 38.0±9.0mg/dL; p<0.001), triglycerides- TG (216.0±115.0 vs 271.0±172.0mg/dL; p<0.001) and Castelli's indexes (CI) I and II (7.7±2.6 vs 8.6±3.2; p=0.002 and 5.0±1.5 vs 5.5±2.0; p=0.015). In men under pravastatin treatment there was a greater reduction in TG (32.0 vs 21.0% p<0.05) and CI I (-41.0% vs -37.0%; p<0.05) and II (-40.0 vs -38.0%; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Men and women differed in risk factors prevalence and response to treatment with pravastatin.
hypercholesterolemia; atherosclerosis; risk factors
