Table 2.
Comparison of lipid-lowering drugs prescribed in men and women.
| Men (N = 1721) | Women (N = 2072) | |
|---|---|---|
| Treatment with lipid-lowering agents | 48.2% (829/1721) | 38.1% (790/2072) |
| Monotherapy | 98.8% (819/829) | 98.9% (781/790) |
| Dual therapy | 1.2% (10/829) | 1.1% (9/790) |
| Type of lipid-lowering agent Statins | 94.2% (781/829) | 94.4% (746/790) |
| Fibrates | 4.3% (36/829) | 3.0% (24/790) |
| Nicotinic acid | 0.8% (7/829) | 0.4% (3/790) |
| Xue Zhi Kang* | 0.7% (6/829) | 2.3% (18/790) |
| Others | 1.0% (9/829) | 0.9% (8/790) |
Data are shown as % (n/N).
*Xuezhikang is an extract of cholestin from red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) that each capsule contains 2.5 to 3.2 mg monacolin K (lovastatin), unsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, and small quantities of lovastatin hydroxyl acid, ergosterol and other components. Xuezhikang is categorized within the statin class by the lipid guidelines, primarily due to lovastatin as its main ingredient but it is in the TCM category.