Conversely, drugs such as phenytoin, griseofulvin, barbiturates, rifampin, and thiazolidinediones increase expression of CYP3A4 and can reduce the plasma concentrations of the 3A4-dependent reductase inhibitors. Inhibitors of CYP2C9 such as ketoconazole and its congeners, metronidazole, sulfinpyrazone, amiodarone, and cimetidine may increase plasma levels of fluvastatin and rosuvastatin. Pravastatin and rosuvastatin appear to be the statins of choice for use with verapamil, the ketoconazole group of antifungal agents, macrolides, and cyclosporine. Doses should be kept low and the patient monitored frequently. Plasma levels of lovastatin, simvastatin, and atorvastatin may be elevated in patients ingesting more than 1 liter of grapefruit juice daily. All statins undergo glycosylation, thus creating an interaction with gemfibrozil.
Creatine kinase activity should be measured in patients receiving potentially interacting drug combinations. In all patients, CK should be measured at baseline. If muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness appears, CK should be measured immediately and the drug discontinued if activity is elevated significantly over baseline. The myopathy usually reverses promptly upon cessation of therapy. If the association is unclear, the patient can be rechallenged under close surveillance. Myopathy in the absence of elevated CK can occur. Rarely, hypersensitivity syndromes have been reported that include a lupus-like disorder, dermatomyositis, peripheral neuropathy, and autoimmune myopathy. The latter presents as severe pain and weakness in proximal muscles that does not remit when the statin is discontinued. It is HMG-CoA reductase antibody positive and requires immunosuppressive treatment.
Reductase inhibitors may be temporarily discontinued in the event of serious illness, trauma, or major surgery to minimize the potential for liver and muscle toxicity.
Use of red yeast rice, a fermentation product that contains statin activity, is not recommended because the statin content is highly variable and some preparations contain a nephrotoxin, citrinin. The long-term safety of these preparations, which often contain a large number of poorly studied organic compounds, has not been established.
Gemfibrozil and fenofibrate decrease levels of VLDL and, in some patients, LDL as well. Another fibrate, bezafibrate, is not yet available in the USA.
Gemfibrozil is absorbed quantitatively from the intestine and is tightly bound to plasma proteins. It undergoes enterohepatic circulation and readily passes the placenta. The plasma half-life is 1.5 hours. Seventy percent is eliminated through the kidneys, mostly unmodified. The liver modifies some of the drug to hydroxymethyl, carboxyl, or quinol derivatives. Fenofibrate is an isopropyl ester that is hydrolyzed completely in the intestine.
Its plasma half-life is 20 hours. Sixty percent is excreted in the urine as the glucuronide, and about 25% in feces.
Mechanism of Action