Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: The increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem worldwide. In patients with diabetes, the risk of developing CVD is greatest. Atherosclerotic diseases are the main cause of death in type 2 diabetes. Thus, ischemic heart disease, as a macrovascular complication of diabetes is the main cause of death in patients with diabetes, with 90% of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. A modern strategy for treating patients with diabetes involves the early administration of lipid-lowering drugs. The first choice is statins. Many patients with type 2 diabetes currently receiving statins, the achievement rate of the target low density lipoproteins (LDL)level remains low with statin monotherapy. Thus the addition of ezetimib to the statins and study the efficacy of lipid- lowering effects in comparison with monotherapy is the main aim of the study.

Methods: The study included 82 patients with Diabetes Mellitus with level of lipoproteins of low dencity more than 7.0 mmol/l under treatment with rosuvastatin 5 mg (Rozulip). The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Allocated to a group that received add-on therapy with ezetimibe at 10 mg/day-Rozulip plus 5/10 (combination group, n=42) or an increase of the rosuvastatin dose to 10 mg/day (dose escalation group, n=40) and after 10 weeks they were compared.

Results: In the group under treatment with Rozulip plus (R+E) the percent change of LDL was −35% and −12% under Rozulip treatment. In both groups, there was a significant decrease in the levels of LDL, but the greater percent changes were in the combination group.

Conclusions: Combination of rosuvastatin and ezetimibe achieved improvement of lipid levels in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients rather than monotherapy with rosuvastatin. According to results suggesting that this combination could suppress the progression of atherosclerosis.