The ENHANCE study was presented at the American College of Cardiology's 57th Annual Scientific Session on Sunday, March 30, and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, comparing the effect on carotid artery thickening of simvastatin alone versus simvastatin plus ezetimibe in patients with a genetic condition that causes severe increases in serum cholesterol. While some of these data had been released previously, a complete peer-reviewed presentation had not been available. These reports have resulted in extensive media coverage on the findings.
The study reinforces the need to adhere to current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines which recommend statins to the maximally tolerated dose or to goal as first line treatment for patients with coronary artery disease. The data from the ENHANCE study should be considered as the NHLBI guidelines writing group is working on their update of the national cholesterol treatment guidelines in the coming months.
Patients should speak with their physician before discontinuing any therapy.
The American Heart Association receives funding primarily from individuals, as well as from foundations and companies, including pharmaceutical and device companies. Specific information on national revenues received from pharmaceutical and device companies is available at americanheart.org.
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