Summary
The effects of simvastatin 40 mg per day for 14 weeks on the pituitary-testis axis of 19 men with familial hypercholesterolaemia have been examined in a single-blind study.
Simvastatin significantly reduced serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides by 45% and 30%, respectively, and significantly increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 15%.
The alterations, which were stable 4 weeks after the start of treatment, were not associated with any significant change in sperm quality, the seminal plasma concentrations of various sex gland products (prostate-specific acid phosphatase, polyamines, citrate, fructose, α-glucosidase), or the serum concentrations of cortisol, testosterone, LH, FSH, or prolactin.
It is concluded that a short-term reduction in circulating LDL-cholesterol has no marked effect on testicular function or sperm quality.
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Purvis, K., Tollefsrud, A., Rui, H. et al. Short-term effects of treatment with simvastatin on testicular function in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 42, 61–64 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314921
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00314921