Managing cholesterol is a crucial step in preventing heart disease and reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Now, researchers have uncovered a game-changing approach: a simple combination of two pills already approved for cholesterol management. This combination therapy is not just effective but life-saving, preventing more than 330,000 deaths annually.

A recent large-scale study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests combination therapy using statin and ezetimibe should be considered "the gold standard of treatment" for better cholesterol management.

Statins have been safely used for years to lower LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) by reducing its production in the liver. Ezetimibe, on the other hand, works differently by limiting the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs from food in the intestines.

The combination therapy using both these medications was evaluated in over 100,000 patients across 14 studies to assess its impact on the risk of cardiac events and deaths from heart attacks and strokes. The study focused on individuals who were already at very high risk or had previously experienced one of these cardiovascular events.

The researchers noted that combination therapy helped in a significant 19% reduction in the risk of death from any cause, a 16% reduction in deaths from cardiovascular causes, and a notable decrease in the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events and stroke by 18% and 17%, respectively when compared to those on high doses of statins alone.
It also brought an additional 13mg per deciliter (dL) reduction in LDL-C levels compared to those on statins alone.

The results were even more pronounced in the network meta-analysis, which allows a direct comparison of different therapy regimens used in the study. There was then a 49% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 39% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events when compared to high-dose statin therapy alone, according to the study first author, Maciej Banach.

"Cardiovascular disease kills around 20 million people a year worldwide. Based on our previous analysis, we estimate that if combination therapy to reduce LDL-C was included in all treatment guidelines and implemented by doctors everywhere for patients with high cholesterol levels, it would prevent over 330,000 deaths a year among patients who have already suffered a heart attack, and almost 50,000 deaths alone in the U.S," Prof. Banach said.

"We recommend combination therapy should be considered the gold standard of treatment for these patients and included in all future treatment guidelines," he added.

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