title: Aggressive treatment of atherosclerosis: the time is now.
abstract: In patients with known cardiovascular disease and those at high risk for it, physicians must begin to treat atherosclerosis earlier, with combination therapy of statins, aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and beta-blockers. In those hospitalized with a cardiovascular event, a statin should be started in the hospital, regardless of lipid levels. Patients with diabetes should be treated as if they have preexisting cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center, Cardiology Fellowship Training Program, UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program, Division of Cardiology, UCLA Division of Cardiology 90095, USA. gfonarow@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Gregg C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Fonarow
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019821:Simvastatin; D001241:Aspirin