Combination cholesterol therapy could save thousands of lives, study suggests
Thousands of lives could be changed every year if treatment guidelines are changed to reflect the findings, researchers suggest.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.People who have had a heart attack should immediately be offered a combination of cholesterol lowering drugs with statins and another cholesterol medication, new research suggests.
The study found that people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) – which includes those who have experienced a heart attack or unstable angina – were 47% less likely to die within three years if they started taking a high dose statin and ezetimibe straight away, compared to just the high dose statin.
The results indicate that out of every 21 patients taking the double treatment for three years, one death was prevented.
Researchers suggest thousands of lives could be changed every year if treatment guidelines are changed to reflect the findings.
This study shows that if we act quickly and decisively to lower patients’ cholesterol with this combination of treatments, we can drastically reduce the risk of death
The research was led by Maciej Banach, Professor of Cardiology at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, and Adjunct Professor at the Ciccarone Centre for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA.
He said: “Patients with acute coronary syndrome, such as those who have already had a heart attack, face a much higher risk of further heart problems.
“Current guidelines, including those on prevention from the European Society of Cardiology, recommend a stepwise approach, first offering a statin only.
“This study shows that if we act quickly and decisively to lower patients’ cholesterol with this combination of treatments, we can drastically reduce the risk of death.
“Around seven million people suffer acute coronary syndrome every year and the majority of cases are linked to high cholesterol and a build-up of fat in the blood vessels.
“We have effective cholesterol lowering treatments, but we must make sure the people who need them are taking them.”
The study included data on 1,536 patients with ACS who were part of the national Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS).
Half of them had been treated with a high dose statin only, while the other half were treated with a combination of a high dose statin and ezetimibe, which is used to treat high cholesterol.
According to the findings, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, those who started taking a statin and ezetimibe straight away were less likely to die of any cause in the following three years.
However, the risk of death was already lower after only 52 days of treatment.
Both statins and ezetimibe are widely available drugs that have been shown to effectively lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
When people have high levels of cholesterol it can block their blood vessels increasing the risk of heart disease or stroke.
ACS affects around seven million people worldwide, including around four million heart attack patients.
Researchers say ensuring that all those at risk are started on both treatments straight away could prevent an estimated 330,000 deaths per year.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.