Unexpected findings from a trial of simvastatin plus ezetimibe raise questions about the effects of aggressive LDL-cholesterol reduction.
High blood levels of LDL have been associated with increased risk for many cardiovascular diseases, including aortic stenosis. To find out whether aggressive lowering of LDL levels would slow or halt disease progression in patients with mild-to-moderate aortic stenosis, investigators for the manufacturer-sponsored, international, Simvastatin and Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis (SEAS) study randomized 1873 patients to receive either a combination of simvastatin (40 mg daily) and ezetimibe (10 mg daily) or matching placebo.
After a median of 52.2 months of follow-up, LDL levels in the combined-therapy group were reduced by 53.8%, compared with 3.8% in the placebo group, but no between-group difference was observed in the primary endpoint, a compo…
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DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardUnited Healthcare; Element Science; Eyedentifeye, F-Prime
EquityHugo Health; Refactor Health; Element Science
Grant/Research SupportPfizer; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Janssen Research and Development, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Cancer Institute; American Heart Association
DisclosuresConsultant/Advisory BoardUnited Healthcare; Element Science; Eyedentifeye, F-Prime
EquityHugo Health; Refactor Health; Element Science
Grant/Research SupportPfizer; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Janssen Research and Development, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Cancer Institute; American Heart Association