title: Switching from statin monotherapy to ezetimibe/simvastatin or rosuvastatin modifies the relationships between apolipoprotein B, LDL cholesterol, and non-HDL cholesterol in patients at high risk of coronary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate relationships between apolipoprotein B (Apo B), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-HDL-C in high-risk patients treated with lipid-lowering therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This post-hoc analysis calculated LDL-C and non-HDL-C levels corresponding to an Apo B of 0.9 g/L following treatment with 1) statin monotherapy (baseline) and 2) ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/20mg or rosuvastatin 10mg (study end). The percentages of patients reaching LDL-C, non-HDL-C, and Apo B targets were calculated at study end.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After switching to ezetimibe/simvastatin or rosuvastatin, the LDL-C and non-HDL-C corresponding to Apo B=0.9 g/L were closer to the more aggressive LDL-C and non-HDL-C goals (1.81 and 2.59 mmol/L, respectively). Only slightly >50% of the patients who reached minimum recommended LDL-C or non-HDL-C at study end also had an Apo B level <0.9 g/L with both treatments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of Apo B for monitoring the efficacy of lipid-altering therapy would likely lead to more stringent criteria for lipid lowering.
authors.affiliation: 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic. Helena.Vaverkova@fnol.cz
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vaverkova
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farnier
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Averna
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Missault
authors.forename: Margus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viigimaa
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Arvind
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Amy O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Johnson-Levonas
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brudi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000097:blood*; D001384:Azetidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood*; D000069438:Ezetimibe; D005260:Female; D005464:Fluorobenzenes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D001384:Azetidines; D005464:Fluorobenzenes; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D000068718:Rosuvastatin Calcium; D002784:Cholesterol; D019821:Simvastatin; D000069438:Ezetimibe