Lake Champlain Cardiology Associates
52 Tom Miller Rd., Plattsburgh, NY 12901 (518) 563-2404
www.lccahearts.com
Vytorin and Zetia What’s all the fuss about?
Vytorin and Zetia have been in the news a lot lately – they were on the front page of the Press-Republican a few weeks ago. They are both effective medications for reducing cholesterol, and we all know that’s good, so what's all the fuss about?
Vytorin and Zetia each contain a medicine called ezetimibe, which helps to lower cholesterol. Vytorin also contains a second medicine, called simvastatin (also known as Zocor). Statins such as simvastatin (Zocor), as well as atorvastatin (Lipitor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor), and lovastatin (Mevacor) have all been proven to reduce complications of heart disease by preventing heart attacks, strokes, plaque build-up, or death.
Vytorin and Zetia, however, have never been proven to be beneficial in any of these ways, including in a recently released major study. Experts are currently discussing what to recommend for patients who use Vytorin or Zetia.
What should patients how are taking Vytorin or Zetia do? For many people, it may be appropriate to stop these medicines and use a statin instead. However, since there may be other factors to consider, we recommend that anybody using Vytorin or Zetia talk with their doctor before stopping any medication.