The largest analysis to examine the best way to lower levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol in patients with blocked arteries shows that they should immediately be given a combination of a statin and another drug called ezetimibe, rather than statins alone. This could prevent thousands of deaths a year from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. The meta-analysis of 108,353 patients in 14 studies who were at very high risk of suffering heart attack or stroke, or who had already suffered one of these cardiovascular events is published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceeding.