New research suggests that thousands of lives could potentially be saved by using a combination of statins and another medication for lowering cholesterol levels.
The most extensive study to investigate how to reduce levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in individuals with clogged arteries indicates that these patients should promptly receive a combination treatment of a statin and an additional medication known as ezetimibe, instead of relying solely on statins.
Combination therapy ought to be regarded as the premier approach for treating patients who have experienced a heart attack, potentially preventing numerous fatalities annually, according to researchers.
Scientists examined the results from 14 prior investigations that included data on 108,353 individuals with an extremely high likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke, as well as those who had already undergone such events.
The research, featured in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, indicated that combining ezetimibe with a high dosage of statins to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels resulted in a significant 19 percent decrease in mortality from all causes.
There was additionally a 16 percent decrease in fatalities due to cardiovascular issues, along with a notable reduction of 18 percent and 17 percent, respectively, in significant adverse cardiovascular incidents and strokes when compared to treatment with high-dose statins alone.
The study’s co-author, Professor Peter Toth from the University of Illinois in the US, stated, “This research supports the idea that immediate combination cholesterol-lowering therapy must be regarded as the benchmark for treating individuals at extremely high risk following an acute cardiovascular incident.”
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