Overview
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 management in high-risk patients aimed at reducing cardiovascular risk. 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.
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DR EDMOND WONG MAN LOK MBBS (Sydney) MRCP (UK) FHKCP FHKAM FRCP (Edin) FRACP FACC Specialist in Cardiology |
Keywords: Dyslipidemia, LDL cholesterol, dyslipidemia management in high-risk patients