title: Impact of ezetimibe on cholesterol  subfractions in dyslipidemic cardiac  transplant recipients receiving statin therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ezetimibe decreases cholesterol in cardiac transplant recipients intolerant to statins therapy. The effects of ezetimibe in addition to statins therapy and its relationship with the magnitude of dyslipidemia and statins utilization have not been studied in cardiac transplant recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design of this investigation was a retrospective case control study. Twenty-two patients receiving the combination of therapy of statins plus ezetimibe were compared with 43 patients treated with statins only. The endpoints were assessed after three months of follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The addition of ezetimibe decreased low density lipoprotein-cholesterol by 25% compared with a 4% increase in patients receiving statins only. The impact of ezetimibe was similar regardless of the magnitude of dyslipidemia or statins dosage. Ezetimibe increase high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol only in patients with baseline HDL-cholesterol above 1.3 mM/L (p < 0.05). There was an asymptomatic, but significant increase in creatinine kinase level [+31.4 +/- 8.1 (ezetimibe) vs. + 1.5 +/- 5.0 mM/L (placebo); p = 0.005].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ezetimibe therapy provides a significant reduction in most cholesterol subfractions regardless of the magnitude of dyslipidemia and statins dosage.
authors.affiliation: Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute andUniversité de Montré al, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Vy-Van
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Normand
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Racine
authors.forename: Guy B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carrier
authors.forename: Mariève
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cossette
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D001384:Azetidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000187:drug effects*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000187:drug effects*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000069438:Ezetimibe; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006538:Heptanoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D001384:Azetidines; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D006538:Heptanoic Acids; D011758:Pyrroles; D002784:Cholesterol; D000069059:Atorvastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D000069438:Ezetimibe; D017035:Pravastatin