Heart Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Heart Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Treatment of hypercholesterolemia with ezetimibe in cardiac transplant recipients.

Patel AR, Ambrose MS, Duffy GA, Cote H, DeNofrio D

Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Center, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA. apatel@tufts-nemc.org

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and tolerability of ezetimibe in cardiac transplant recipients who were intolerant of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) or unable to reach target lipid levels with statin therapy. After treatment with ezetimibe (n = 16), mean total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased significantly (228 +/- 40 mg/dl to 197 +/- 48 mg/dl, p = 0.003; and 149 +/- 34 mg/dl to 117 +/- 39 mg/dl, p < 0.001, respectively). One patient required a reduction in ezetimibe dose owing to myalgias; no other adverse events occurred. This initial experience indicates that ezetimibe is well tolerated in cardiac transplant recipients and is effective in reducing total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.

Published 9 March 2007 in J Heart Lung Transplant, 26(3): 281-4.
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