About this course
The 2019 ESC guidelines governing the management of dyslipidemia recognizes the causal relationship between
circulating low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, total duration of exposure to lipoproteins, and the
size of a patient’s total atherosclerotic plaque burden. Given these, there is a need for patients at very high CV
risk to reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels early to as low as possible.
In line with the demanding target goals for lipid-lowering, the EAS 2021 practical guidelines call for the use of
combination medications at the outset among very high risk patients with high LDL-C unlikely to reach goals with
statin therapy alone.
The statin-ezetimibe combination therapy brings together synergistically the profound lipid-lowering effect of
each drug, overcoming limitations in achieving targets when taken alone, and mitigating potential adverse
effects when taken alone in high doses.
This module will review the most recent guidelines on dyslipidemia treatment in high CV risk patients. It will focus on the role of statins and ezetimibe within the algorithm and how a clinician may maximize the use of these drugs to achieve treatment goals.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Understand the role of LDL-C levels in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)
- Review the management of dyslipidemia beyond statin therapy
Topics covered
- Factors contributing to plaque development in ASCVD, with emphasis on role of LDLs
- Cardiovascular risk categories and LDL-C treatment goals
- Lipid lowering treatment – statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors
- Beyond statin therapy
- Limitations of statins
- Statin + Ezetimibe combination therapy
- PCSK9 inhibitors
- Treatment algorithms
- ESC step-wise treatment algorithm for LDL-C
- EAS algorithm for managing high LDL-C levels in ASCVD patients
Speaker for this course:
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DR EDMOND WONG MAN LOK
MBBS (Sydney) MRCP (UK) FHKCP FHKAM FRCP (Edin) FRACP FACC
Specialist in Cardiology
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Keywords: Dyslipidemia, Combination therapy for dyslipidemia treatment
1 CME Point Available
- This module is accredited for 1 CME Point for medical practitioners enrolled in The Medical Council of
Hong Kong’s Continuing Medical Education Programme for Practising Doctors who are not taking CME for
Specialists.
- This module is accredited for both Hong Kong Doctors Union (HKDU) members and non-members
- This module is accredited for 0.5 CME Point for fellows of the Hong Kong College of Physicians, Hong Kong College of Emergency Medicine, and Hong Kong College of Community Medicine.
- Please note that this module will not earn CME credit for fellows of colleges not listed
here.
- A certificate can be downloaded upon successful completion of the quiz. Please use the information on
the certificate to claim your CME points.