Pharmacological Options in Atherosclerosis: A Review of the Existing Evidence

Abstract Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels have been shown to be key in the pathogenesis of this condition. Lipid control has therefore been the subject of decades of research and has led to many large a...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Keshav Kumar Gupta, Shair Ali, Ranjodh Singh Sanghera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Adis, Springer Healthcare 2018-12-01
Series:Cardiology and Therapy
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40119-018-0123-0
Description
Summary:Abstract Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels have been shown to be key in the pathogenesis of this condition. Lipid control has therefore been the subject of decades of research and has led to many large and robust randomized controlled trials, as well as the highest grossing drug of all time—Lipitor (atorvastatin). Statin therapy has long been indicated for secondary and more recently primary prevention. However, despite the large-scale use of statins, CHD prevalence remains high, and some patients do not respond to statin therapy. There has been a large push to find and test alternative lipid-lowering agents, these include fibrates, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK-9) inhibitors. It is the aim of this review to assess the literature surrounding each of these groups of drugs.
ISSN:2193-8261
2193-6544