Ezetimibe thickness

Ezetimibe is the first member of a group of drugs that inhibit intestinal absorption of phytosterols and cholesterol. Its primary clinical effect is reduction of LDL levels. In one trial, patients receiving ezetimibe in combination with simvastatin had marginal, but not statistically significant, increases in carotid intimal-medial thickness (IMT) compared with those... 

Weissman NJ, Turco M. Extended-release niacin or ezetimibe and carotid intima-media thickness. N Engl J Med 2009 361 2113-22. 

Taylor, A.J., Villines, T.C., Stanek, E.J., Devine, P.J., Griffen, L., Miller, M., Weissman, N.J., and Turco, M., 2009. Extended-release niacin or ezetimibe and carotid intima-media thickness. The New England Journal of Medicine. 361 2113-2122. 

The ARBITER-6/HALTS study enrolled 208 statin-treated subjects with coronary artery disease (CAD) and randomized them to either ezetimibe 10 mg daily or ER niacin 2000 mg daily. Niacin led to significant reductions in both the mean and maximal carotid intimia-media thickness (CIMT) measurements P <0.001 for all comparisons). The incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower in the niacin group (1% vs. 5%, P=0.04 by Chi square), although the trial was not intended to study events (Taylor et al. 2009). 

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