Method of lowering blood cholesterol level

Abstract

The level of blood cholesterol in a living animal body in which a state of hypercholesterolemia exists is lowered by orally administering to said animal body a pharmaceutically effective amount of a polymer, which is (1) polymerized unsaturated carboxylic acid or anhydride, or (2) a copolymer of (a) an unsaturated monomer having, for Example, 2 to 30 carbon atoms and, (b) an unsaturated carboxylic acid, anhydride or derivative thereof as exemplified by octadecene-1/maleic anhydride copolymer. Polymers having lipophilic properties are a preferred class. A typical dosage is an amount which represents in the range of from about 0.01 to about 5.0% of the diet.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for lowering the blood cholesterol level in a living animal in need thereof comprising orally administering to said animal an effective blood cholesterol lowering amount of a copolymer of (1) an alpha alkene of .[.about 8.]. .Iadd.10 .Iaddend.to about 22 carbon atoms and (2) maleic acid or anhydride, or a pharmaceutically acceptable amide, ester, imide, salt thereof or mixtures thereof, said copolymer having a molecular weight in the range of from about 1000 to 1,000,000. 
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is octadecene-1/maleic anhydride. 
     
     
       3. The method of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is decene-1/maleic anhydride. 
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 wherein the copolymer is octadecene-1/maleic acid. 
     
     
       5. The method of claim 1 in which the copolymer is a lipophilic copolymer of an alpha-alkene of 10 to 22 carbon atoms and maleic acid or anhydride. .[.6. The method of claim 1 in which the copolymer is a polyelectrolyte 
     
     
        copolymer of an alkene of 10 to 22 carbon atoms..]. 7. The method of claim 
     
     
        1 in which the alkene has 10 to 18 carbon atoms. 8. The method of claim 1 
     
     
        in which the maleic component of the copolymer is a mixture. 9. The method of claim 1 in which the copolymer is a copolymer of maleic acid or anhydride.