Here’s a breakdown of the key points from the provided text,focusing on the recommendations for statin therapy:
The Problem:
Widespread Weight Gain: Middle-aged people gain weight,contributing to a fatter society.
Low Physical Activity: A critically important majority of Americans (around 79%) do not meet daily physical activity recommendations. High absolute Risk: Due to these factors, many individuals have a high absolute risk of cardiovascular disease.
The Solution (as advocated by the experts):
therapeutic lifestyle Changes are Beneficial: The nation would greatly benefit from lifestyle changes.
Adjunctive Therapy is Often Necessary: However, due to the high absolute risk, many will require additional medical treatment.
Statins as First-Line Adjunctive Therapy: When adjunctive therapy is needed, statins should be the first consideration.
start with Maximum Doses: The primary recommendation from the experts is to start statin therapy at maximum or high-intensity doses, especially for individuals at high risk of heart disease.
Reasons for the Recommendation:
Greater Risk Reduction: The more LDL cholesterol is reduced by statin therapy, the greater the subsequent risk reduction.
Evidence-Based Guidelines: Existing guidelines (like the 2018 ACC/AHA joint task force) recommend reducing LDL cholesterol with high-intensity or maximally tolerated statin therapy for patients with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
safety and Effectiveness of High Doses: Clinical data supports the safety and effectiveness of high starting doses of statins (e.g., atorvastatin 80 mg, rosuvastatin 20 mg) in reducing cardiovascular events.
Addressing Underdosing: Some experts believe cardiologists overestimate the risk of side effects and routinely underdose statins, which is not justified by the evidence.
maximizing Benefit: Starting at a higher intensity ensures patients receive the maximum potential benefit from the statin.
Addressing Concerns about Intolerance:
Rare Refusal of Lower Doses: while some cardiologists worry that patients intolerant to high-intensity statins might refuse all statins, one expert believes it’s rare for patients to refuse a lower dose if needed.
Titration is Frequently enough Neglected: The issue is often that patients stay on their initial intensity, and titration to higher doses doesn’t happen as frequently as it should. Thus, starting high is frequently enough better.
* Placebo Intolerance is High: The text notes that the rate of intolerance with a placebo was surprisingly high, suggesting patients may be more attuned to or attribute symptoms to new medications.
In essence, the consensus among the experts cited is that for individuals at high risk of heart disease, initiating statin therapy at the highest effective dose is the most beneficial approach to maximize cardiovascular risk reduction.
