Atherosclerosis 2012-12-01

Effects of ezetimibe added to statin therapy on markers of cholesterol absorption and synthesis and LDL-C lowering in hyperlipidemic patients

Nuntakorn Thongtang, Jianxin Lin, Ernst J. Schaefer, Robert S. Lowe, Joanne E. Tomassini, Arvind K. Shah, Andrew M. Tershakovec

Index: Atherosclerosis 225(2) , 388-96, (2012)

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Abstract

Objective Statins inhibit cholesterol synthesis but can upregulate cholesterol absorption, with higher doses producing larger effects. Ezetimibe inhibits cholesterol absorption but also upregulates synthesis. We tested whether ezetimibe added to on-going statin therapy would be most effective in lowering LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) in subjects on high-potency statins and whether these effects would be related to alterations in cholesterol absorption (β-sitosterol) and synthesis (lathosterol) markers.