Recent treatment perspectives in lipidology

Abstract

peer reviewedClinical lipidology has gained its recognition with the publication of numerous clinical trials since the 4S study in 1994. Since that time statins have fully confirmed their promises and play now a crucial role in the battle against cardiovascular diseases. The last decade has been dominated by two demonstrations that apparently are discordant: (1) the lower the cholesterol level with the pharmacological intervention, the lower the risk of cardiovascular complications, arguing for the use of very efficacious cholesterol-lowering therapies; and (2) the cardiovascular protection provided by statins is present whatever the baseline cholesterol level, supporting the concept of pleiotropic effects of statins. As a consequence, statin treatment should be prescribed and intensified according to the high individual cardiovascular risk rather than because of the cholesterol level stricto sensu. Statin therapy should be completed by the addition of ezetimibe when LDL cholesterol level remains above target values or by the addition of fenofibrate when triglyceride levels are high and/or HDL cholesterol level is low. New pharmacological approaches aiming at further improving lipid profile, especially by targeting low HDL cholesterol levels, are currently in clinical development