Heart Beat: Uncertainty dogs Zetia and Vytorin
Heart Beat
Uncertainty dogs Zetia and Vytorin
It's been a confusing time for the millions of people who take ezetimibe, a cholesterol-lowering drug. Ezetimibe is sold alone as Zetia and with simvastatin (Zocor) as Vytorin. In January 2008, results from a small trial showed that Vytorin didn't reduce artery-clogging plaque any better than simvastatin alone. In July 2008, preliminary results from a larger trial showed that taking Zetia with a statin didn't slow the narrowing of heart valves any better than the statin alone. But it did seem to be linked to an uptick in cancer. To check that unexpected and worrisome finding, Oxford University researchers looked at cancer cases in two ongoing trials of Vytorin that include more than 20,000 volunteers. The results, published online in The New England Journal of Medicine, were reassuring but didn't completely close the door on a Zetia-cancer link.
Zetia works by preventing cholesterol in food from crossing the intestinal wall and getting into the bloodstream. In theory, it's a good addition to a statin, which lowers cholesterol a different way. Taking Zetia and a statin, or Vytorin, reduces cholesterol more than either drug alone. But the combination hasn't paid off where it counts, in heart attacks and strokes prevented, or lives saved.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.