Co-administration of ezetimibe and simvastatin in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Recent trials in acute myocardial infarction indicate that intensive and early statin therapy that lowers low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to < or = 70 mg dL(-1) is beneficial. The combination of statins with ezetimibe, a newly developed cholesterol-absorption inhibitor, can lead to a further reduction in LDL-C of up to 26%. In this study, we examined the rapidity and intensity of the lipid-lowering effect of ezetimibe co-administered with simvastatin immediately after myocardial infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients admitted for acute myocardial infarction were randomized to receive either simvastatin 40 mg (SIMVA), a combination of simvastatin 40 mg and ezetimibe 10 mg (EZE/SIMVA), or no lipid-lowering drugs (NLLD) and had their lipid levels assessed 2, 4 and 7 days later. RESULTS: At baseline, cardiovascular risk factors were similar in all three groups [mean (SD) LDL-C of 141 (36) mg dL(-1)]. At days 2 , 4 and 7 there was no significant change in mean LDL-C levels in the NLLD group (-10%, -6%, and -9%, all P > 0.09), while there were significant reductions with SIMVA (-15%, -27%, and -25%, respectively, all P < 0.001 vs. day 0) and even greater reductions with co-administration of EZE/SIMVA (-27%, -41%, and -51%, respectively, all P < 0.001 vs. day 0). The percentages of patients achieving LDL-C below 70 mg dL(-1) at days 4 and 7 were substantially greater with EZE/SIMVA (45% and 55%, respectively) than with SIMVA (5% and 10%, respectively), while no NLLD patient reached this goal. Triglyceride levels showed a progressive increase in the NLLD group (+45% at day 7, P < 0.05 vs. day 0), no change in the SIMVA group, but a decrease in the EZE/SIMVA group (-17% at day 7, P < 0.05 vs. day 0). No significant difference in HDL-C levels, tolerability, or clinical events was observed between the three groups. CONCLUSIONS: The co-administration of ezetimibe 10 mg with simvastatin 40 mg, by inhibiting cholesterol absorption and production, allowed more patients with acute myocardial infarction to reach LDL-C < or = 70 mg dL(-1) as early as the fourth day of treatment. The effects of such rapid and intense reduction in LDL-C on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality need to be evaluated in future clinical endpoint studies.

Transparent conductive indium oxide film deposited on low temperature substrates by activated reactive evaporation.

High quality conductive coatings for the visible region were prepared on low temperature glass substrates. The conductive layer was an indium oxide film deposited by the activated reactive evaporation technique using a glow discharge hollow cathode ion gun. An antireflective layer of MgF(2) was deposited over the conductive layer. The average transmission in the visible region of the coated glass with sheet resistance of < 15 Omega/sq was greater than 90%. The coating was durable and passed a series of environmental tests according to MIL-C-675C.