Effectiveness of ezetimibe alone or in combination with twice a week Atorvastatin (10 mg) for statin intolerant high-risk patients.
This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ezetimibe (10 mg/day) alone or in combination with atorvastatin (10 mg twice a week) on hypercholesterolemia in 56 high-risk patients intolerant to daily statin use. Ezetimibe monotherapy was well tolerated (2 withdrawals) and induced a mean reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of 20% (p <0.05) at the third month. However, of the 54 patients still taking ezetimibe, only 5 (9%) were at their LDL cholesterol targets. Atorvastatin 10 mg twice a week was then added to ezetimibe and was well tolerated (3 withdrawals). This combination reduced LDL cholesterol (in a treatment-based analysis) by 37% compared with baseline (p <0.001), with 43 (84%) patients reaching their LDL cholesterol goals. When patients (n = 34, 25 men) with baseline serum creatinine values in the upper 2 tertiles were analyzed separately, there was a significant (p = 0.041) decrease in serum creatinine levels after 6 months of treatment. In conclusion, the combination of ezetimibe plus atorvastatin 10 mg twice a week might be a therapeutic option for high-risk patients intolerant to daily statin monotherapy.
Athyros
Vasilios G
VG
Second Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Hippocration Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. athyros@med.auth.gr
Tziomalos
Konstantinos
K
Kakafika
Anna I
AI
Koumaras
Haralambos
H
Karagiannis
Asterios
A
Mikhailidis
Dimitri P
DP
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D001384:Azetidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D000069438:Ezetimibe; D005260:Female; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001384:Azetidines; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011758:Pyrroles; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D003404:Creatinine; D000069438:Ezetimibe