Internationale Zeitschrift für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung

Perceptions on Cholesterol Management and Cholesterol Absorption and Production Inhibition

Chan Y. Lee

Introduction: Clinical trial evidence over the last two decades shows that reducing cholesterol levels reduces the risk of Cardiovascular (CV) disease, particularly coronary heart disease, which is a leading cause of death and morbidity in the United States and Europe. The findings of these research are used to develop national and international treatment guidelines that define lipid thresholds and treatment goals for a number of patient groups. These guidelines are a critical management tool for clinicians to use in medical practice to help them lessen the effect of atherosclerotic-related CV disease. Despite the fact that 5-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) are widely suggested in various guidelines, statins alone (even at higher doses) are sometimes insufficient for many patients to achieve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) objectives.

According to a recent European survey, over 60% of hyper cholesterolemic patients fail to meet their cholesterol objectives based on national guidelines. 13 Failure to titrate statin doses, in part due to worries about the likelihood of adverse events at higher statin doses when only a modest 6% reduction in LDL-C levels may be predicted, is one of the main reasons for this poor level of goal achievement. As a result, there is a significant disconnect between what is advised and what is actually accomplished in practise.