Maria Cherska: One Pill, Better Adherence, Same LDL-C Control
Maria Cherska, The Head of Cardiology Department at The State Institution V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Ayşe Çolak et al., published in Lipids in Health and Desease, adding:
“One Pill. Better Adherence. Same LDL-C Control.
Medication adherence remains one of the biggest challenges in secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).
Even the most effective therapy cannot work if it is not taken consistently.
A new real-world observational study from Turkey evaluated 450 patients with ASCVD receiving atorvastatin plus ezetimibe either as a single-pill combination (SPC) or as two separate tablets (free-dose combination, FDC).
Key findings:
Higher adherence with SPC throughout follow-up
- 89.8% vs. 70.7% at 1 month
- 86% vs. 69% over 4 months
Greater early LDL-C target achievement
- LDL-C less than 100 mg/dL: 81.9% vs. 67.2% at 1 month
Comparable LDL-C reduction at 4 months despite lower statin doses in the SPC group, suggesting that simplifying therapy may improve effectiveness in routine clinical practice.
Fewer laboratory safety signals
Elevations of CK and AST/ALT were observed more frequently in patients receiving free-dose combinations.
Why does this matter?
In lipid management, the question is no longer only ‘Which drug?’ but also ‘How can we help patients stay on treatment?’
Reducing pill burden with fixed-dose combinations may improve adherence without compromising LDL-C lowering – an important step toward better long-term cardiovascular prevention.
The authors conclude that fixed-dose regimens represent a practical strategy to optimize adherence and cardiovascular risk management in patients with established ASCVD. ”
Title: Efficacy and safety of combination therapy with statin and ezetimibe in patients failing to achieve target LDL levels at cardiology outpatient clinics in Turkey (COM-TR-OLDL): a real-world observational study
Authors: Ayşe Çolak, Zeynep Kumral, Önder Öztürk, Ayşegül Ülgen Kunak, Ali Nizami Elmas, Ömer Bedir, Medeni Karaduman, Naci Babat, Umut Uyan, Nurcemal Şentürk, Sebahat Tekeli Şengül, Sefa Erdi Ömür, Şahbender Koç, Mehmet Ali Işık, Samet Uysal, Cennet Yıldız, Emre Asiltürk, Tuncay Güzel, Fahri Er, Alkım Ateşli Yazıcı, Emrah Yeşil, Fuat Bice, Cansu Öztürk, Murat Gökhan Yerlikaya, Lütfü Aşkın, Melisa Uçar, Murat Çakır, Ömer Uluuysal, Afag Özyıldız, Yusuf Demir Ozan, Tolga Kunak, Selçuk Öztürk, Özkan Karaca, Özkan Kayhan, Khayal Mirzayev, İlke Çelikkale, Emine Buket Kırdağ, Mehdi Zoghi, Asım Oktay
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