Effect of Ezetimibe Monotherapy on Lipid Metabolism and Arterial Stiffness Assessed by Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Aim: High cholesterol absorption in the small intestine has been proposed to be a risk factor of atherosclerosis. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ezetimibe monotherapy on arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetic patients.
Methods: Forty type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with high serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were enrolled and treated with ezetimibe 10 mg/day for 6 months. HbA1c, serum lipids, remnant-like particle-cholesterol (RLP-C), serum lipoprotein lipase mass (LPL mass) and the cardioankle vascular index (CAVI) were measured before and after ezetimibe treatment.
Results: After 6 months of ezetimibe treatment, significant decreases in LDL-C, RLP-C and CAVI were observed. In the group that achieved the LDL-C goal of <120 mg/dL after 6 months of ezeti-mibe treatment, the pretreatment CAVI was markedly high, and CAVI decreased significantly after ezetimibe treatment.
Conclusions: In type 2 diabetic patients, ezetimibe monotherapy may have the potential to ameliorate arterial stiffness in addition to lowering LDL-C and RLP-C.