Drug Insight: The role of statins in combination with ezetimibe to lower LDL cholesterol

The cardiovascular benefits of therapy with the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are well documented. Undertreatment of dyslipidemia remains pervasive, however, and the introduction of more-aggressive optional LDL-cholesterol targets in US guidelines only heightens the challenges of reaching the target values. Combination therapy with a statin and the cholesterol absorption inhibitor ezetimibe could help in the management of patients who have an inadequate reduction in cholesterol after making changes to lifestyle or taking statins alone. The effects of the combination on cardiovascular risk remain speculative, however, and clinical trials are in development. In this Review we consider the rationale for combination therapy in the context of achieving LDL-cholesterol goals.