What Is the Best Approach to Lipid Management?

In a simulation study, basing statin treatment on overall cardiovascular risk produced better outcomes than basing treatment on target LDL levels.

The benefits of using statins to lower elevated cholesterol levels are unquestioned; however, the optimal strategy for initiating and maintaining statin treatment is debated. The most common practice is to titrate the statin dose to achieve a desired LDL level (“targeted” treatment). An alternative approach is to base a fixed dose on the patient's estimated risk for coronary artery disease (“tailored” treatment). In a population-level simulation study, Hayward and colleagues used NHANES data collected between 1988 and 1994 to compare outcomes of targeted and tailored statin treatments.

Participants (age range, 30–75) had no history of acute MI. Each person's untreated risk for fatal and nonfatal coronary events was calculated using sex-speci…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

What Is the Best Approach to Lipid Management?

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Reviewing Author