Starting with a statin or statin plus ezetimibe to lower LDL led to similar heart outcomes

Adults with heart or blood vessel disease who started treatment with a statin alone had rates of heart attack, stroke and other heart problems over three years similar to those who started with a statin plus ezetimibe (a nonstatin medication to help limit cholesterol absorption in the intestine) when medications were adjusted to reach an assigned goal for low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol, according to new, independent, preliminary late-breaking science presented Saturday at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2026 in Chicago.