Clinical Efficacy of Ezetimibe as an Add-on to Atorvastatin: Effects on HDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides in Post-PCI Patients from a South Indian Population

Background Cardiovascular diseases often cause severe ischemic block or narrowing of coronary arteries, obstructing blood flow to the myocardium. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a nonsurgical, invasive procedure for treating these conditions. Statins are the standard secondary preventive measure due to their pleiotropic effects. Research on therapeutic efficacy of the Atorvastatin–ezetimibe combination in improving the quality of life of post-PCI patients, especially in the south Indian population, is limited. This study aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness ezetimibe when it is added to atorvastatin in patients with a history of PCI in terms of HDL and Triglycerides levels. Results Among 80 randomized patients 72 patients’ data lasted for the final analysis. Compared the atorvastatin monotherapy (Group A) with the atorvastatin–ezetimibe group (Group B). Only HDL (High-density lipoprotein), LDL (Low-density lipoprotein), TG (Triglycerides) remained significant after Bonferroni correction whereas total cholesterol and VLDL did not meet adjusted threshold; between-group differences were significant with the improvement of HDL (44.2 ± 2.3 vs 37.5 ± 1.9 mg/dL) and lowering TG (70.3 ± 2.8 vs 84.6 ± 3.1 mg/dL). Analyses were intention-to-treat (ITT) with LOCF and pre-protocol principles (PPP). CRP level is highly significant (18 ± 1.9 vs 8 ± 1.9). Conclusion Compared with atorvastatin alone, ezetimibe, when used as an add-on therapy to atorvastatin improved the lipid profile and CRP levels, specifically in decreasing triglycerides and an increasing HDL cholesterol level in post-PCI patients. This combination therapy was associated with improved quality of life, and long-term trials are needed to confirm these findings and assess the impact on clinical events.