Cardiology
Cardiology
Drug combo provides better cholesterol control
Hormone replacement therapy and simvastin taken together produce more favorable changes in cholesterol profiles than either therapy alone, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Anaheim, CA.
The well-controlled study of 139 postmenopausal women with hypercholesteremia compared the separate and combined effects of hormone replacement with conjugated estrogen/mexoxyprogesterone acetate tablets and simvastin.
After six weeks of treatment, 79% of women on combined therapy achieved the clinical goal of lowering LDL cholesterol to a mean baseline of 194 mg/dL, compared with 59% of women on simvastin alone and 32% of women on hormone replacement alone. Percentage declines
in LDL cholesterol were 37% for women on combined therapy, compared with 29% and 17% respectively for women on simvastin alone and women on hormone replacement alone.
"Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women. This combination of therapies is a promising way to significantly lower cholesterol levels, thus reducing women's risk of developing cardiovascular disease and experiencing acute events such as heart attack and stroke," says Michael H. Davidson, MD, FACC, president of the Chicago Center for Clinical Research. "Women with elevated cholesterol levels should talk with their doctors about the therapy that is best for them."
Researchers also measured changes in total cholesterol and levels of HDL, or good cholesterol. Both therapies alone and in combination improved HDL levels by 4% to 13% and reduced total cholesterol levels by 9% to 24%.
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