Reshaping the dyslipidemia management paradigm

Over the last 2 decades, a large body of evidence has been collected that documents the value of identifying patients with lipid abnormalities and providing lipid-modifying therapy to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and related events. Yet the therapy that many such patients receive is not aggressive enough to be effective. With the aging of the US population and trends toward increasing obesity, diabetes, and impaired fasting glucose, primary care physicians are likely to be faced with growing numbers of patients at risk for CHD. It is imperative that these patients be given appropriate doses of cholesterol-lowering therapy and be encouraged to make therapeutic lifestyle changes.