Treatment of lipids. Implications for the general practitioner.
Abnormalities in serum lipids are important predictors of coronary artery disease. Lipid therapy safely reduces the future risk of coronary disease and simultaneously improves life expectancy. These benefits have been demonstrated in patients with and without-prior heart disease. Lipid therapy needs to be prioritized for those at highest absolute risk of coronary disease, that is, in those with established coronary disease or in those with other major risk factors such as diabetes, a positive family history of coronary disease, low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, hypertension or cigarette smoking. Drug selection is discussed, as is the place of lipid therapy in the elderly. Many patients fail to continue their lipid therapy beyond a few weeks and this problem needs to be considered by the general practitioner.
Simons
L A
LA
University of New South Wales, Australia.
D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019821:Simvastatin
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008148:Lovastatin; D019821:Simvastatin; D017035:Pravastatin