Treating elevated cholesterol levels: the great Satan in perspective

Economic implications of lipid-lowering trials: current considerations in selecting a statin

Little doubt remains about the value of lipid-lowering therapy since publication of the results of large, randomized, controlled trials that show decreased total, as well as coronary, mortality with the use of statins for primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. All of the available statins are effective and safe, but they vary greatly in terms of cost-effectiveness. Fluvastatin has been determined to be a cost-effective therapeutic agent in the large proportion of the population with mild-to-moderate dyslipidemia who fit treatment guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). Atorvastatin and simvastatin are cost-effective for the relatively smaller number of patients who require greater reductions in cholesterol.

Future of lipid-lowering trials: what else do we need to know?

Convincing clinical trial evidence shows that lipid-lowering therapy can be effective in primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease events. At least 2 studies indicate that this benefit extends to persons with only mild or moderate hypercholesterolemia. The benefits of lipid-lowering therapy in certain subpopulations, however, remains to be elucidated. The effects in women, African Americans, the elderly, and patients with concomitant coronary artery disease risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension are only recently being studied in large, well-designed trials. Other trials, described herein, are studying the benefits of therapy in persons with coronary artery disease and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (but normal or only mildly elevated total or low-density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol). Future trials are needed to assess prospectively the value of aggressive lipid-lowering therapy on coronary artery disease events in diabetic patients with and without coronary artery disease. New drug therapies and innovative uses for existing therapies are being developed that may have an important impact on the prevention of coronary artery disease.

Assessing the benefits of lipid-lowering therapy

In recent years, a substantial body of evidence has emerged to support the use of lipid-lowering therapy in the prevention of coronary artery disease, and many physician groups have endorsed the management of dyslipidemia in at-risk patients. An important consideration in such endorsements has been the issue of the safety of lipid intervention; many early primary- and secondary-prevention studies reported either no reduction in all-cause mortality rates or an increase in non-coronary artery disease mortality rates in treated patients. These observations raised serious concerns about the safety of such therapy. However, 2 landmark studies, the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) and the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS), have contributed greatly to alleviating these concerns. In this article, a review of the epidemiologic evidence supporting the use of lipid modification will be presented, including important trials and meta-analyses, and the cost-effectiveness of lipid-modifying treatment will be discussed.