Dyslipidaemias are the major risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Its management is very important to reduce the risk. The new guidelines stress that lipid-modifying treatment should be tailored according to the need. What is suitable for a 40-year old man without a family history of CVD is not appropriate for an elderly patient with a recent stroke.

Team@CMHF

New guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias have been created to keep pace with emerging data and provide up to date treatment advice for a wide range of dyslipidaemias, which are abnormal amounts of lipids in the blood – including diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The experts believe that cardiovascular disease (CVD), driven by the global pandemics of obesity and diabetes, poses a challenge to clinicians in the 21st century.

Despite progress, there is still much to be done to improve the control of dyslipidaemia, a key risk factor. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol remains the main priority in lipid management. The combined profile of high triglycerides and a low level of HDL cholesterol – atherogenic dyslipidaemia – are common in many high risk patients, including those with type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Treatment needs to be individualized.

The crucial first step for managing lipids in all patients should be lifestyle interventions, including quitting smoking, improving diet, exercising, and moderate alcohol consumption. If that fails, statins are the choice of treatment to lower LDL, if that fails, combination therapies with a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, bile acid sequestrate, or nicotinic acid may be considered.

Reference:  http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=27383