[steve86]

I don't understand why it was ever postulated that a statin and Zetia would ameliorate the valve thickening in the first place. What is causing the thickening?

Most patients, of course, are not put on a statin for valve stenosis but for prevention and treatment of plaque blockages in the arteries, where statins continue to be effective including in this study.

Zetia is the suspect in the increaed cancer incidence, if it is not an artifact.

[neverdem]

I don't understand why it was ever postulated that a statin and Zetia would ameliorate the valve thickening in the first place. What is causing the thickening?

It's been 20 years since pathology for me, but my guess is that they were hoping that when you have calcific aortic stenosis from dystrophic calcification in the valve, that it is not unlike the dystrophic calcification in atherosclerotic arteries, which they are still blaming and betting on lowering the LDL-cholesterol.