Effects of ezetimibe on remnant-like particle cholesterol,lipoprotein (a),and oxidized low-density lipoprotein in patients with dyslipidemia

Aim: ezetimibe is a novel cholesterol absorption inhibitor that reduces the level of low-density lipoprotein (ldl)-cholesterol (c). the effects of ezetimibe on remnant-like particle (rlp)-c,lipoprotein (a) [lp(a)],and oxidized ldl (ox-ldl) levels have not been examined. methods: fifty patients with dyslipidemia were treated with 10 mg/day of ezetimibe. at baseline and 12 weeks after treatment with ezetimibe,we measured the levels of rlp-c,lp(a),ox-ldl,and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-crp). results: the mean levels of total cholesterol (tc),ldl-c,triglycerides (tg),and apolipoprotein (apo) b,respectively,showed a significant decrease from 229±39 to 191±37 mg/dl (-16%,p< 0.0001),from 151±34 to 118±33 mg/dl (-22%,p<0.0001),from 162±82 to 135±55 mg/dl (-7%,p<0.01),and from 116±22 to 94±21 mg/dl (-18%,p<0.0001) after 12 weeks of treatment with ezetimibe. the mean level of rlp-c and median level of hs-crp also decreased significantly from 6.8±4.0 to 4.8±2.5 mg/dl (-21%,p<0.0001) and from 0.6 to 0.4 mg/l (-33%,p<0.05). the median level of lp(a) decreased significantly from 14 to 10 mg/dl (-29%,p<0.05) in patients treated with ezetimibe monotherapy. conclusions: ezetimibe was effective for reducing the levels of tc,ldl-c,tg,and rlp-c. ezetimibe could be a potential therapeutic option for decreasing the lp(a) level.