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.
