Study Shows Early Dual Drug Therapy Could Prevent 5,000 Heart Attacks per Decade
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A new study by Imperial College London and Lund University has found that thousands of heart attacks, strokes, and deaths could be prevented annually with the early use of two affordable cholesterol-lowering drugs—statins and ezetimibe. The research, published recently, underscores the potential of this low-cost combination therapy to save lives and ease healthcare burdens worldwide.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, with heart attacks being the most common event. Survivors are at the highest risk of a second heart attack in the first year due to increased blood vessel sensitivity. While statins are widely used, ezetimibe is often not prescribed early due to concerns about side effects. However, researchers found that the combination therapy is both safe and significantly more effective when started promptly.
To investigate this, scientists analyzed data from 36,000 Swedish heart attack patients treated between 2015 and 2022. Using advanced statistical models to emulate a clinical trial, they compared patients who received statins and ezetimibe within 12 weeks of a heart attack to those who began later or used only statins. Early dual therapy was linked to reduced risk of further heart attacks, strokes, and death.
“This study shows we could save lives with two low-cost drugs, yet many patients globally don’t receive them together,” said Prof. Kausik Ray of Imperial. “It’s time for care pathways to change.”
Co-author Dr. Margret Leosdottir added that global treatment guidelines should be updated to reflect the benefits of early combination therapy that has minimal side effects. The study calls for immediate action to improve post-heart attack care and prevent unnecessary suffering.
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