Effect of combination of ezetimibe and atorvastatin on serum lipid in elderly patients with coronary artery disease

AIM:To observe the effect of combination of ezetimibe and atorvastatin on the serum lipid of elderly patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: One hundred and seventysix elderly patients with coronary artery disease whose serum lipid level did not meet normal criteria after taking atorvastatin 20 mg/d were assigned randomly to two groups. Patients in highdose atorvastatin group were treated with atorvastatin 40 mg/d and patients in combination group were treated with ezetimibe 10 mg/d and lowdose atorvastatin 20 mg/d. The changes of serum lipid and side effects were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoproteincholesterol (LDLC) decreased significantly in both groups after the 12week therapy (P<005). Compared with those in highdose atorvastatin group, serum TC and LDLC decreased markedly (P<005) and serum lipid control rate was much higher in combination group. However, the rate of hepatic damage in combination group was much lower than that in highdose atorvastatin group. CONCLUSION: Compared with highdose atorvastatin, combination of ezetimibe and lowdose atorvastatin, safe and welltolerated, can more significantly decrease TC and LDLC and improve serum lipid control rate.