Ezetimibe Plus Moderate Dose Simvastatin After Acute Coronary Syndrome: What are we IMPROVEing on?
Am J Med. 2015 Feb 27;
Authors: DiNicolantonio JJ, Chatterjee S, Lavie CJ, Bangalore S, O'Keefe JH
Abstract
The recent IMProved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial (IMPROVE-IT) is the first study to demonstrate a significant benefit of another medication (ezetimibe) on top of statin therapy in patients who have recently experienced an acute coronary syndrome. Despite the fact that ezetimibe lead to positive results on the primary endpoint, the clinical benefit translated to real-life practice is only modest at best. However, this is the first major trial to demonstrate a significant benefit of a lipid medication in addition to statins. We explore the strengths and weaknesses of IMPROVE-IT in the context of current day acute coronary syndrome practice, where high dose statins are now widely prescribed.
PMID: 25731133 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]