Combination Lipid-Lowering Therapy Linked to Greater Drop in LDL-C

FRIDAY, March 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Combination lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) is associated with a greater reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared with statin monotherapy, according to a study published online March 23 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.Maciej Banach, M.D., Ph.D., from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review of 14 studies (11 randomized controlled trials and three cohort studies) with 108,373 very high-risk patients to examine the efficacy of combination LLT compared to statin monotherapy for LDL-C reduction, associated adverse events, and outcomes.The researchers found that compared with statin monotherapy, combination LLT significantly more effectively reduced the LDL-C level from baseline in a pooled analysis (mean difference, –12.96 mg/dL) and significantly reduced all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events, and stroke incidence (odds ratios, 0.81, 0.82, and 0.83, respectively); the effect on cardiovascular mortality was not significant. The groups had a comparable risk for adverse events and therapy discontinuation rates."Combination LLT should be considered at the outset of therapy initiation to maximize LDL-C goal attainment and improve reduction in hard cardiovascular disease end points," the authors write. "These issues should be emphasized more emphatically by guidelines."Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Combination Lipid-Lowering Therapy Linked to Greater Drop in LDL-C

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