Some Improvement in Post-ACS Outcomes with Adjunctive Ezetimibe

Ezetimibe was first approved in July 2002 for lowering LDL cholesterol, and now an industry-funded, randomized, controlled trial has examined its effect on patient outcomes. The IMPROVE-IT researchers tested whether ezetimibe (10 mg), added to simvastatin (40 mg), produced better outcomes than simvastatin alone in patients recently hospitalized with an acute coronary syndrome and with relatively low LDL cholesterol levels. The primary endpoint was a composite of death from cardiovascular disease, a major coronary event, or nonfatal stroke.

The trial enrolled 18,144 patients (mean age, 64) at 1147 sites in 39 countries. At the time of the qualifying event, 34% were taking statins. In patients with LDL cholesterol >79 mg/dL on two measurements…