American College of Cardiology

ENHANCE Trial Results: Statins Remain First Line

CHICAGO — The ENHANCE study was presented at the American College of Cardiology's 57th Annual Scientific Session on Sunday, March 30, and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine, comparing the effect on carotid artery thickening of simvastatin alone versus simvastatin plus ezetimibe in patients with a genetic condition that causes severe increases in serum cholesterol. While some of these data had been released previously, a complete peer-reviewed presentation had not been available. These reports have resulted in extensive media coverage on the findings.

The study reinforces the need to adhere to current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines which recommend statins to the maximally tolerated dose or to goal as first line treatment for patients with coronary artery disease. The data from the ENHANCE study should be considered as the NHLBI guidelines writing group is working on their update of the national cholesterol treatment guidelines in the coming months.

Patients should speak with their physician before discontinuing any therapy.

To view a letter from the ACC to Senator Charles Grassley regarding the ENHANCE trial, click here.