Combination Lipid-Lowering Therapy in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023 Aug 1;82(5):401-410. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2023.05.042.

Abstract

Background: The RACING (randomized comparison of efficacy and safety of lipid-lowering with statin monotherapy versus statin/ezetimibe combination for high-risk cardiovascular diseases) trial examined the effects of combination therapy with moderate-intensity statin and ezetimibe in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease compared with high-intensity statin monotherapy.

Objectives: This observational study was conducted to evaluate the impact of 2 treatment strategies used in the RACING trial in clinical practice.

Methods: After stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting, a total of 72,050 patients who were prescribed rosuvastatin after drug-eluting stent implantation were identified from a nationwide cohort database: 10,794 patients with rosuvastatin 10 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg (combination lipid-lowering therapy) and 61,256 patients with rosuvastatin 20 mg monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the 3-year composite event of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery revascularization, hospitalization for heart failure treatment, or nonfatal stroke in accordance with the RACING trial.

Results: Combination lipid-lowering therapy was associated with a lower occurrence of the primary endpoint (11.6% vs 15.2% for those with high-intensity statin monotherapy; HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.70-0.79; P < 0.001). Compared with high-intensity statin monotherapy, combination lipid-lowering therapy was associated with fewer discontinuations of statin (6.5% vs 7.6%; HR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.78-0.94: P < 0.001) and a lower occurrence of new-onset diabetes requiring medication (7.7% vs 9.6%; HR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.72-0.88; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: In clinical practice, combination lipid-lowering therapy with ezetimibe and moderate-intensity statin was associated with favorable clinical outcomes and drug compliance in patients treated with drug-eluting stent implantation. (CONNECT DES Registry; NCT04715594).

Keywords: coronary artery disease; dyslipidemia; statin.

Publication types

  • Observational Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anticholesteremic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Drug-Eluting Stents*
  • Ezetimibe / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Lipids
  • Myocardial Infarction* / drug therapy
  • Percutaneous Coronary Intervention*
  • Rosuvastatin Calcium
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Rosuvastatin Calcium
  • Anticholesteremic Agents
  • Ezetimibe
  • Lipids

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04715594