Impact of Atorvastatin Combined with Ezetimibe for the Treatment of Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Background: This study aimed to investigate the impact of atorvastatin (Ato) combined with ezetimibe (Eze) for the treatment of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: One hundred and forty-eight CHD patients with carotid atherosclerosis were divided into the control (Ato alone) and combination (Ato and Eze) groups. The treatment course was 12 months; patient blood lipids, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), and carotid plaque area were measured before and after treatment. Results: Twelve months after treatment, there was a decrease in the CIMT, and the horizontal and vertical axes of the carotid plaque areas in both groups, compared to pretreatment values. The serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the LDL-C (2.12 +/- 0.58 mmol/L vs. 2.63 +/- 0.56 mmol/L) and CIMT (1.06 +/- 0.12 mm vs. 1.13 +/- 0.11 mm) levels between the combination and the control groups after treatment. Compared to the control group, the horizontal (0.18 +/- 0.06 cm(2)vs. 0.19 +/- 0.05 cm(2)) and vertical carotid arterial plaque areas (0.40 +/- 0.15 cm(2) vs. 0.41 +/- 0.17 cm(2)) of the combination group were reduced after treatment. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of Ato and Eze further reduces LDL-C levels and CIMT, and affect the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in CHD patients with hypercholesterolemia.