A new study suggests that combining two cholesterol-lowering drugs could save thousands of lives by reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular diseases. Researchers analyzed data from 108,353 patients in 14 studies to find that combining a statin with ezetimibe resulted in a significant 19% reduction in death from any cause, compared to taking statins alone.
The study found that this combination therapy also reduced the risk of deaths from cardiovascular causes by 16%, and major adverse cardiovascular events or stroke by 18%. Additionally, it lowered LDL-C levels by an extra 13mg per deciliter (dL) of blood, increasing the chances of reaching the ideal goal of less than 70mg/dL.
The researchers concluded that this combination therapy is safe and effective, with a comparable risk of adverse events and therapy discontinuation rates between groups. They recommend that this approach be considered the gold standard for treatment of very high-risk patients after an acute cardiovascular event.
According to experts, combining ezetimibe with statins could prevent thousands of deaths worldwide each year. The study’s findings align with previous research, which suggests that early treatment and combination therapy can reduce cardiovascular risk and mortality.
The study’s authors emphasize the importance of prioritizing this approach for high-risk patients. “Simply adding ezetimibe to statin therapy without waiting is associated with more effective LDL-C goal achievement and significant reductions in cardiovascular health problems and deaths,” said co-author Peter Toth.
The researchers hope that their findings will lead to changes in treatment guidelines, encouraging doctors to consider combination therapy as the standard of care for high-risk patients.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-thousands-combining-cholesterol-lowering-drugs.html