Statin-ezetimibe lined up with fewer myocardial infarctions than statin use alone in a Korean records study

What the research found

A target-trial emulation was published online on 13 November 2026. It used Korean national insurance records. Adults aged 30 to 74 with dyslipidemia were compared after 180 days of statin use alone or a fixed statin-ezetimibe combination. The combination group had 309,371 people: 239,954 in an early cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic risk band and 69,417 in a late band. The abstract does not give a sex split. After weighting, the myocardial infarction hazard ratio was 0.87 (95 percent CI 0.81 to 0.95) in the early band and 0.88 (95 percent CI 0.79 to 0.98) in the late band, versus statin use alone. The 10-year weighted cumulative incidence was 1.97 percent versus 2.23 percent in the early band, and 3.52 percent versus 3.94 percent in the late band. The association was strongest for moderate-intensity statins, especially in the early band (hazard ratio 0.87, 95 percent CI 0.79 to 0.95). This is an association in records. It is not a guide to change a statin. DOI 10.1093/ehjcvp/pvag099. Not medical advice.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at European Heart Journal: Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy