[Intestinal cholesterol absorption: a pharmacological target for lowering of plasma cholesterol].
A number of clinical studies clearly demonstrate the efficacy of hypocholesterolemic treatment in reducing incident cardiovascular events. The benefit appears to be proportional to the reduction of LDL cholesterol. Recent guidelines suggest an even more stringent target of 70 mg/dl for LDL cholesterol in high-risk subjects. Statins represent a very effective treatment of hypercholesterolemia, and the co-administration of drugs with complementary mechanisms of action, may represent an additional pharmacological tool in clinical practice to achieve the suggested targets for LDL lowering. In this short review we address the most recent discoveries in the physiological pathways of cholesterol absorption and identify the concept of dual inhibition as a therapeutic paradigm that may help in reaching the LDL cholesterol targets in clinical practice.
Catapano
Alberico L
AL
Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche, Centro per lo Studio dell'Aterosclerosi, Università degli Studi, Milano. alberico.catapano@unimi.it
Catapano
Luca
L
Fellin
Renato
R
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D008074:Lipoproteins; D002784:Cholesterol