Ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/20 mg versus simvastatin 40 mg in coronary heart disease patients

BACKGROUND: Reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is the primary goal of therapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: This double blind placebo-controlled study enrolled patients 18 to 75 years of age with primary hypercholesterolemia and establishedCHDwhowere taking a stable daily dose of simvastatin 20 mg. Patients were randomized to ezetimibe/simvastatin 10/20 mg (eze/simva; n 5 56) or simvastatin 40 mg (simva; n 5 56) for 6 weeks. Percent change from baseline in LDL-C, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides were assessed by use of the Student t test. The percent of patients achieving L…