MIMS Education

Better Together: Using Combination Therapy in the Intensive Lowering of LDL-C in Dyslipidemia

Better Together: Using Combination Therapy in the Intensive Lowering of LDL-C in Dyslipidemia

CardiologyInternal MedicineFamily MedicineGeneral Practice
A badge with ribbon in color black CAT3B: 1 point | An analog clock in color black 1 hour | A black calendar with white triangle in center that has a black exclamation point in the middle 03 Feb 2024 

Overview

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 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.

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the educational activity, participants should be able to:
  • Understand the role of LDL cholesterol 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 cholesterol 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:

Dr  Wong ID.png 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

1 CME Point Available

A certificate can be downloaded upon successful completion of the quiz. Please use the information on the certificate to claim your CME points.