title: Update on the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, with a focus on HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and combination regimens.
abstract: Numerous studies involving patients with hypercholesterolemia have demonstrated that reduction of lipid levels markedly reduces morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. Diet alone may enable patients without established disease to attain target lipid levels, but pharmacotherapy generally is necessary for those with coronary artery disease. Choice of a suitable agent for monotherapy--a bile acid resin, niacin, or an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor--may be determined by patient phenotype. For resistant cases, therapy combining an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor with another agent generally is effective and well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Ginsberg
mesh_terms: D002792:Cholestyramine Resin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003084:Colestipol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009525:Niacin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002792:Cholestyramine Resin; D009525:Niacin; D003084:Colestipol