Latest Guidelines on Lipid-lowering drugs “Statins”

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I recently posted some information about the recent changes to the guidelines for prescribing Statin drugs.  Here is a summary:

Previously, clinicians were treating to lower LDL cholesterol levels to the recommended targets.  However with the recent update clinicians are now recommended to determine whether a patient falls into one of these four high-risk groups.  Then the treatment is as follows:

  • I. Patients with clinical signs of  cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) should receive “high-intensity” therapy if  under 75 years old – OR –  “moderate-intensity” therapy if over 75 years old
  • II. Patients with LDL cholesterol levels ≥190 mg/dL should receive high-intensity statin therapy.
  • III. Diabetic patients aged 40–75 with LDL cholesterol levels of 70–189 mg/dL and without clinical ASCVD should receive at least moderate-intensity statin therapy (and possibly high-intensity statin therapy when estimated 10-year ASCVD risk is ≥7.5%)
  • IV. Patients without clinical ASCVD or diabetes but with LDL cholesterol levels of 70–189 mg/dL and estimated 10-year ASCVD risk ≥7.5% should receive moderate- or high-intensity statin therapy.

– High-intensity statin:

  • atorvastatin (40–80 mg)
  • rosuvastatin (Crestor; 20–40 mg).

– Moderate-intensity statin:

  • atorvastatin (10–20 mg)
  • rosuvastatin (Crestor; 5–10 mg)
  • simvastatin (20–40 mg)
  • pravastatin (40–80 mg), and several others.

You may want to ask your physician if you or any of your family members or parents fall into one of these categories.  I recently had a family member that underwent open-heart bypass surgery…Something for all of us to learn from such experiences.