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,

“This study confirms that combined cholesterol lowering therapy should be considered immediately and should be the gold standard for treatment of very high-risk patients after an acute cardiovascular event,” senior researcher Dr. Peter Toth, a professor of clinical family and community medicine at the University of Illinois, said in a news release.