A recent study indicates that pairing two cholesterol-lowering drugs could potentially save nearly 50,000 American lives each year by sharply reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for around 700,000 fatalities annually.
The research, led by Maciej Banach, a cardiology professor at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, concludes that a combination therapy of statins and the cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe could offer greater protection than statins alone.
Statins, commonly prescribed to those at high risk of heart attack or stroke, work by reducing the liver’s production of cholesterol, thereby lowering plaque-forming LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Meanwhile, ezetimibe, sold under the brand name Zetia, functions differently by blocking the small intestine from absorbing cholesterol.
According to Banach, administering both medications together rather than waiting to introduce ezetimibe after several weeks of statin therapy could reduce the risk of early death by 19 percent, the risk of a major cardiovascular event by 18 percent, and the risk of stroke by 17 percent.
These findings, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, challenge the current approach where high-dose statin patients are often monitored for at least two months before ezetimibe is added to their treatment.
The recommendation is based on an analysis of 14 studies involving more than 108,000 patients with blocked arteries.
Study co-author Peter Toth pointed out that the combination approach allows for more effective achievement of LDL cholesterol goals and leads to substantial reductions in cardiovascular complications and deaths. Toth highlighted that this method does not require new or expensive medications, making it a practical and potentially life-saving solution for high-risk patients.
Cardiovascular disease remains a global threat, killing around 20 million people annually due to factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking, physical inactivity, and high cholesterol. In the United States alone, nearly 94 million adults aged 20 and older have what could be considered borderline high cholesterol.
Doctors have traditionally taken a cautious approach, often waiting to see how patients respond to statin therapy before prescribing additional medications.
However, Dr. Benjamin Hirsh, director of preventative cardiology at North Shore University Hospital, believes the findings should change that practice. Hirsh emphasized the importance of aggressively reducing LDL cholesterol, particularly for high-risk patients, and expressed hope that early combination therapy will become the new standard.
The study’s findings suggest that introducing ezetimibe alongside statins without delay could not only save lives but also reduce the financial burden of managing heart attacks, strokes, and related complications such as heart failure.