[Dyslipidemia and global cardiovascular risk: treatment guidelines]

Epidemiological studies identified several risk factors as cardiovascular disease correlates, including smoking, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and increased plasma lipids. High blood cholesterol, and in particular LDL cholesterol levels, represents a major determinant of coronary artery disease, in particular when included in the context of a comprehensive risk profile. The more recent guidelines (especially NCEP ATP III in the United States, and the European Joint Task Force) have suggested the opportunity to favor treatment of those subjects with higher global cardiovascular risk, first of all of those individuals with coronary artery disease or another cardiovascular manifestation or diabetes, then of subjects with clustered risk factors or with markedly raised levels of single risk factors, eventually of other subjects. In this perspective the treatment also of slight dyslipidemias has been shown capable of reducing cardiovascular event incidence and mortality. Recent investigations, aiming at evaluating the impact of these "clinical recommendations" in the treatment of dyslipidemias or other cardiovascular risk factors within a framework of high global cardiovascular risk (EURO-ASPIRE II, L-TAP, etc.), showed inadequate attention of community-based medicine, disclosed by the insufficient number of subjects investigated and by the large number of untreated or undertreated patients. Rosuvastatin, a recently marketed inhibitor of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase, is an effective drug which may normalize high plasma cholesterol among high-risk subjects more often than other similar molecules, thus permitting to reach stringent guideline lipid targets. It is hoped that coronary risk charts based on Italian data will be implemented, with the purpose of better finding and treating those subjects who may benefit, at a suitable level of cardiovascular risk.