Effect of nicomol on HDL cholesterol level.

In cardiovascular diseases with potential atherosclerosis, the serum concentration of HDL cholesterol as determined by a precipitation method with dextran sulfate and Mg++ was lower while that of total cholesterol was normal or elevated. Treatment with a daily dose of 1,200 mg of Nicomol, a derivative of nicotinic acid, for 1 to 3 months increased the mean HDL cholesterol level by 3 to 5 mg/dl and reduced the total cholesterol level by 14 to 15 mg/dl and total/HDL cholesterol ratio by 0.8 (3 months) to 0.9 (1 month, p less than 0.05). Similar decreases in HDL cholesterol concentration were also found in parenchymal and obstructive liver diseases with normal total cholesterol values except in fulminant hepatitis and intrahepatic cholestasis.