Real-world data to assess changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and predicted cardiovascular risk after ezetimibe discontinuation post reporting of the Ezetimibe and Simvastatin in Hypercholesterolemia Enhances Atherosclerosis Regression trial.

BACKGROUND

The 2008 Ezetimibe and Simvastatin in Hypercholesterolemia Enhances Atherosclerosis Regression (ENHANCE) study demonstrated ezetimibe + simvastatin vs simvastatin alone had a neutral effect on the surrogate endpoint of carotid intima-media thickness. Subsequent media portrayal of the study prompted ezetimibe discontinuation in many patients.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to assess the impact of ENHANCE reporting on ezetimibe discontinuation, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) changes, and potential cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

METHODS

This analysis used claims data in a retrospective, observational study of patients receiving ezetimibe + statin and compared LDL-C for patients who discontinued ezetimibe (n = 970) vs those who continued ezetimibe + statins (n = 3706) after ENHANCE results disclosure. Change in relative CVD risk was estimated from the absolute LDL-C difference between groups per the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' meta-analysis of statin trials.

RESULTS

The rate of ezetimibe discontinuation was 2% in the 6 months before and 21% in the 6 months after reporting of ENHANCE results. Among patients who ultimately discontinued vs continued ezetimibe, respective mean LDL-C levels were 79.8 and 78.3 mg/dL 6 months before reporting of the ENHANCE results and 93.5 and 78.1 mg/dL 6 months after reporting of ENHANCE. Predictive application of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' meta-analysis suggested the 13.9 mg/dL increase in mean LDL-C translated to a 9.4% increase in relative CVD risk for those who discontinued ezetimibe.

CONCLUSION

After reporting of the neutral ENHANCE results, ezetimibe discontinuation rate increased, LDL-C levels increased, and predicted CVD risk increased among those who discontinued ezetimibe. Characterization of clinical outcomes regarding lipid-altering agents based on surrogate biomarker studies not designed to assess CVD outcomes may be misleading, potentially placing patients at increased CVD risk.