Ezetimibe decreases serum oxidized cholesterol without impairing bile acid synthesis in Japanese hypercholesterolemic patients.

Objective: Cholesterol and diet-derived oxidized cholesterol are absorbed in the small intestine and eliminated by bile acids. We determined whether ezetimibe, a selective cholesterol absorption inhibitor, changes serum oxidized cholesterol levels.

Methods: We measured levels of plant sterols, cholesterol precursors, and oxysterols by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in 47 hypercholesterolemics and 32 controls.