Statin Combo Dramatically Lowers Cholesterol
Reported February 28, 2007
(By Vivian Richardson, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — People who have a difficult time getting high cholesterol under control may have a new option. A combination of two cholesterol-lowering medications can cut cholesterol levels by as much as 70 percent.
Researchers from the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston report Crestor (rosuvastatin) and Zetia (ezetimibe) also reduced inflammation when taken together. Certain chemicals produced by inflammation can damage the heart and blood vessels.
“This is a wonderful option for the people who, due to their genes or their lifestyle, or the combination, have high levels of LDL cholesterol,” Christie Ballantyne, M.D., told Ivanhoe. As a cardiologist, he knows how important it is for patients with high cardiovascular risk factors to get LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, levels as low as possible. “This shows that we can do it.”
Dr. Ballantyne and colleagues treated patients with either 40 milligrams of Crestor plus 10 milligrams of Zetia or just Crestor. More patients on the combination therapy than patients on the single drug were able to get their LDL levels below 100, which previous studies have shown can reduce a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke.
The two medications work in different ways to reduce cholesterol. Crestor reduces the amount of cholesterol created in the body. Zetia reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. “By blocking both the production and the absorption of cholesterol, you have a dual inhibition, a double bang, in regards to knocking down the levels of cholesterol,” Dr. Ballantyne said.
Dr. Ballantyne said the search for the best ways to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke is continuing. Triple therapies are being considered, as well as therapies taking advantage niacin’s ability to increase HDL, or “good” cholesterol. Niacin is a vitamin found in many foods, like chicken and broccoli. Drug companies are testing slow-release niacin medications.
Patients with high cholesterol should talk to their doctors about ways to get cholesterol as low as possible. “Don’t be satisfied with a number that’s not a low as you want,” Dr. Ballantyne said.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Christie Ballantyne, M.D.; American Journal of Cardiology, 2007; 99:673-680