Greater reduction seen in LDL-C; reductions also seen in all-cause mortality, major adverse CV events, stroke incidence<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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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<\/em>.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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, \u201312.96 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.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.<\/p>\n