title: Statins as the cornerstone of drug therapy for dyslipidemia: monotherapy and combination therapy options.
abstract: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reduction with statin treatment remains the cornerstone of lipid-lowering therapy to reduce risk of coronary heart disease. Combination therapy with a statin poses advantages in certain settings and may allow use of lower doses of multiple drugs rather than maximum doses of a single drug. Bile-acid sequestrants or the cholesterol-absorption inhibitor ezetimibe can be added to a statin to achieve greater LDL cholesterol reductions. Niacin or fenofibrate can be added to a statin for treatment of mixed dyslipidemia. Differences in statin efficacy in reducing LDL cholesterol and meeting recommended LDL cholesterol targets as well as differences among these agents in beneficial effects on other lipid parameters can affect whether and how these agents are prescribed in monotherapy and combination therapy.
authors.affiliation: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex 77030, USA. jones@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009525:Niacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D009525:Niacin; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003402:Creatine Kinase