Adding ezetimibe to intensive statin therapy following acute coronary syndrome provides greater benefits to elderly patients than those in lower age groups, a US study has found.

In a secondary analysis of the IMPROVE-IT (Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial) study, researchers compared the effects of simvastatin-ezetimibe combination therapy versus simvastatin alone by age group in more than 18,000 participants (mean age 64).

The original IMPROVE-IT findings, published in 2015, demonstrated the benefits of adding ezetimibe to lipid-lowering therapy and provided further support of the ‘lower is better’ theory for LDL cholesterol control.

In this analysis, funded by Vytorin manufacturer Merck, patients were stratified into three age groups: below 65 (56% of participants); 65-74 (29%); and 75 or older (16%). The median follow-up period was six years.