Ezetimibe in diabetes: more than cholesterol lowering?

Ezetimibe, an inhibitor of cholesterol intestinal absorption, is a lipid lowering agent with potential pleiotropic actions. Ezetimibe in combination with a statin is effective in decreasing low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), lowering triglyceride and raising high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Ezetimibe plus statin achieve LDL-C targets in a greater proportion of patients than statin monotherapy. Ezetimibe also seems to improve renal function, insulin resistance and inflammatory markers. These actions are useful in patients with diabetes. Ezetimibe is a well-tolerated and effective (in terms of achieving LDL-C targets) option inpatients with hyperlipidemia with or without diabetes. This editorial will discuss several properties of ezetimibe, with special reference to diabetes.