What is the evidence in favor of low-dose statin therapy in 2008?
Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a major cause of death in the United States, and despite continued improvements in cardiovascular care, CHD rates remain unacceptably high. Modification of cardiovascular risk factors is the major strategy for reducing coronary disease and clinical events. Lipid modification therapy has played an important role in cardiovascular risk reduction, and the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) are among the most important cardioprotective medications. Early clinical trials of statin therapy utilized low or modest doses of statins. More recent trials, however, have compared low-dose with high-dose statin therapy in individuals with CHD and found high-dose statin therapy to confer more benefits. Is there, then, still a role for low-dose statin therapy? This article summarizes statin clinical trials and focuses on the potential role for low-dose statin therapy in cardiovascular risk reduction.
Watson
Karol E
KE
Division of Cardiology, 47-123, UCLA School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. kwatson@mednet.ucla.edu
D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018570:Risk Assessment; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D019821:Simvastatin; D017035:Pravastatin