ISSUE 137
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New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association no longer recommend using specific cholesterol targets in the treatment of hyperlipidemia.1 HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) are the lipid-lowering drugs of first choice for treatment of most patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. They can decrease the incidence of major coronary events and death in such patients. Taken as an adjunct to diet, exercise, and smoking cessation, statins can also reduce the risk of first cardiovascular events and death in patients with risk factors such as elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and diabetes. Their benefits in these patients clearly outweigh their adverse effects. Combining a statin with another LDL-C lowering drug, such as colesevelam, niacin, or ezetimibe, can reduce LDL-C levels further than a statin alone, but studies demonstrating
... more1. NJ Stone et al. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol 2013 November 7 (epub).
2. PM Ridker and PW Wilson. A trial-based approach to statin guidelines. JAMA 2013; 310:1123.
9. D Gaist et al. Statins and risk of polyneuropathy: a case-control study. Neurology 2002; 58:1333.
10. Inhibitors and inducers of CYP enzymes and P-glycoprotein. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2013; 55:e44.
11. Pitavastatin (Livalo) – the seventh statin. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2010; 52:57.
12. Drugs for hypertriglyceridemia. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2013; 55:17.
15. Fenofibric acid (Trilipix). Med Lett Drugs Ther 2009; 51:33.
18. What about niacin? Med Lett Drugs Ther 2011; 53:93.
19. Fish oil supplements. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2012; 54:83.
22. Icosapent ethyl (Vascepa) for severe hypertriglyceridemia. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2013; 55:33.
23. Two new drugs for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2013; 55:25.
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