Drug Combo May Be Best for Plaque Regression, University of Calgary Study

Doctors Lounge -- The combination of atorvastatin plus etidronate appears to be superior to atorvastatin alone for causing the regression of thoracic and abdominal aortic plaques, according to research presented at the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2011 Scientific Sessions, held from April 28 to 30 in Chicago. In a prospective, open-label, blind-end point study, Tetsuya Kawahara, M.D., of the University of Calgary in Canada, and colleagues randomized 251 patients with asymptomatic hypercholesterolemia to receive 20 mg of atorvastatin per day or 20 mg of atorvastatin plus 400 mg of etidronate per day. The primary end point was the change of atherosclerotic plaques after 24 months of treatment.