Drug treatment of dyslipidemia

Abstract

The ultimate objective of dyslipidemia management is to prevent and treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. It is important to combine lifestyle modification together with medication. To determine whether to start drug therapy, comprehensive consideration should be given to both the risk status for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Drug treatment can be initiated according to whether the patients have coronary artery disease, ischemic cerebral infarction, peripheral artery disease, atherosclerotic artery diseases (abdominal aortic aneurysm, carotid artery stenosis), or diabetes, as well as the number of atherosclerotic risk factors (smoking, hypertension, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol level, family history of premature coronary artery disease, and age). Statin is the first-choice drug for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. The first goal for drug therapy is to lower the low density lipoprotein cholesterol and the secondary goal is to lower the non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol level. Secondary causes of dyslipidemia should be considered and corrected before starting any medication. These recommendations are based on the new treatment guideline 2015 of Korean Society of Lipidology and Atherosclereosis and Korean Medical Association.