Articles related to LIPID DISORDERS

Stay updated on the USPSTF’s stance on lipid disorder screening in asymptomatic youth—a topic that directly impacts our strategies for early detection and intervention.

A recent Danish cohort study reveals that older adults (≥75 years) may experience a more pronounced LDL-C reduction with low- to moderate-intensity statins than their younger counterparts. This finding emphasizes the need to consider age when prescribing statin therapy.

Bempedoic acid is currently approved for two patient subgroups. This 3-year, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial examined cholesterol-lowering and CV protective effects in a broader population of approximately 14,000 patients with elevated cholesterol who were unable or unwilling to take statins. The drug was 21% more effective than placebo at reducing LDL in this trial. There was a small but significant reduction in primary events of CV-related death, MI, stroke, or coronary revascularization.

This summary of a January 2023 JACC article highlights the study finding that rosuvastatin was “vastly superior to… any of the six supplements studied in the trial.” The study compared rosuvastatin to cinnamon, garlic, turmeric, red yeast rice, fish oil, and plant sterols. Rosuvastatin yielded a reduction in cholesterol of nearly 38 percent in just 28 days. The supplements had little to no effect but were significantly more costly than the statin.

Versus placebo, pemafibrate yielded a more than 25% greater reduction in triglycerides, VLDL, remnant cholesterol, and apolipoprotein C-III in patients with type 2 diabetes. However, there was no reduction versus placebo in MI, ischemic stroke, need for coronary revascularization, or CV death.

The statin group experienced an average LDL-C reduction of 37.9%, according to the results of the single-center, prospective, randomized, single-blind SPORT study (Supplements, Placebo, or Rosuvastatin), while those who took dietary supplements experienced LDL-C changes similar to those in the placebo group. Additionally, rosuvastatin-treated patients experienced average decreases in triglycerides of 19% and total cholesterol of 24%. For any of the supplements, there were no differences in either total cholesterol or triglycerides when compared to placebo.