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 treat-ment with ezetimibe. The mean level of RLP-C and median level of hs-CRP also decreased signifi-cantly 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. Ezeti-mibe could be a potential therapeutic option for decreasing the Lp(a) level.