title: Efficacy of ezetimibe for reducing serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels resistant to lifestyle intervention in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy of ezetimibe and lifestyle intervention for treating patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and residual dyslipidemia via a combination of ezetimibe and lifestyle intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with NAFLD with residual dyslipidemia after a 6-month lifestyle intervention program were included. After completion of the 6-month program, the patients received p.o. administration of ezetimibe at 10 mg/day, in addition to lifestyle intervention, for 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 59 patients with NAFLD who had participated in the 6-month lifestyle intervention program between 2007 and 2012, 21 with residual dyslipidemia (10 males and 11 females) were enrolled. Median age was 58 years (range, 27-75), median bodyweight was 63.0 kg (range, 39.4-109.0), median body mass index was 25.4 kg/m2 (range, 18.2-37.1), median alanine aminotransferase was 23 IU/L (14-73), median high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was 58 mg/dL (range, 37-93), median triglycerides (TG) was 105 mg/dL (range, 42-216) and median low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was 153 (66-209) mg/dL. After 6 months of treatment with ezetimibe, serum LDL levels were improved in 15 of 20 (75%) patients (P = 0.0015), while no improvements were observed in the remaining five patient (25%). Ezetimibe was discontinued in one patient who developed skin rash.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ezetimibe is effective for treating residual dyslipidemia after lifestyle intervention in patients with NAFLD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Saga Medical School, Nabeshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oza
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Yoichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwashiro
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Shunya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakashita
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwane
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.forename: Iwata
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anzai
keywords: diet; dyslipidemia; exercise; ezetimibe; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol