A lipid lowering drug (bezafibrate) has a favorable effect on liver enzymes (Al-P and gamma-GTP).
We administered 400 mg of bezafibrate daily to 27 patients with hyperlipidemia for seven moths. Most biochemical parameters remained unchanged, whereas levels of alkaline phosphatase (Al-P)and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP), which are the hepatobiliary enzymes, were significantly decreased. Blood lipid levels were improved. Al-P levels decreased significantly from the baseline level of 174.5 IU/l to 116.7 IU/l (-26.5%) and gamma-GTP levels also decreased from 64.4 IU/l to 34.4 IU/l (-29.5%) (p < 0.001). When we compared the changes in serum lipid levels with those in Al-P and gamma-GTP levels following bezafibrate therapy, we found a slight degree of correlation between changes in gamma-GTP and triglyceride (T-G) levels, but no correlation at all between the changes of Al-P and total-cholesterol (T-cho), T-G or high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). A close correlation was observed between both Al-P and gamma-GTP (r = 0.81, p < 0.001). From these results it was suggested that bezafibrate has not only a lipid lowering effect but has a favorable efficacy on the hepatobiliary enzymes.