Statin Therapy

Eating foods associated with the Mediterranean diet was linked to a reduced risk for CVD, particularly among women, a recent study showed.

Statin use after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with reduced breast cancer mortality and reduced serum cholesterol levels compared with not using a statin, according to cohort study results published in JAMA Network Open.

Healio | Cardiology Today compiled a list of the top news from the 2023 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

Statin therapy is a first-line recommendation for all adults with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease or at high atherosclerotic CVD risk, yet reports show many patients cannot — or will not — take statins as prescribed.

PHILADELPHIA — In the CLEAR Outcomes cohort of patients with statin intolerance, inflammation predicted risk for CV events and death more strongly than cholesterol, researchers reported at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

PHILADELPHIA — Automatic referrals of eligible patients not already prescribed statins to a centralized pharmacy service via email increased prescriptions of any statin by 16 percentage points compared with usual care, a speaker reported.

PHILADELPHIA — Pitavastatin lowered noncalcified plaque volume and reduced risk for plaque progression compared with placebo in patients with HIV at low to moderate risk for CVD, according to new data from the REPRIEVE trial.

There are many new treatment strategies for patients with statin intolerance. Finding a regimen that is acceptable to the patient may require switching agents, changing dosages or using alternative regimens, according to experts.

PHILADELPHIA — An intensive systolic BP target of less than 120 mm Hg for Asian patients with hypertension reduced risk for CV and all-cause mortality over 3 years vs. standard care, a speaker reported.

Experts agree that whether statin-associated adverse effects are real or not matters little if a patient cannot or will not take the statin because of the symptoms they describe.