Cardiovascular diseases. Introduction

Area of Science:

• Cardiology and clinical pharmacology.
• Lipid metabolism and cardiovascular risk assessment.

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading cause of global mortality, with dyslipidaemia (elevated apolipoprotein B:apoA1 ratio) being a major modifiable risk factor.
• Lowering low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) via statin therapy is a cornerstone in managing dyslipidaemia and reducing cardiovascular risk, as evidenced by meta-analyses showing significant mortality and event reduction per LDL-C decrease.

Discussion:

• International guidelines advocate for strict LDL-C targets in patients with established CVDs and those at high risk.
• Pitavastatin, a commonly used statin in several Asian countries and recently approved in the USA, is reviewed for its safety and efficacy.
• Comparative analysis of pitavastatin against other statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin) is presented, alongside an examination of its benefits beyond LDL-C reduction.

Key Insights:

• Statin therapy, specifically reduction of LDL-C, demonstrably lowers all-cause mortality, coronary mortality, and major vascular events.
• Pitavastatin's efficacy and safety profile are evaluated in the context of established treatment guidelines and compared to other widely used statins.
• The review explores potential additional therapeutic benefits of pitavastatin that extend beyond its lipid-lowering effects.

Outlook:

• Pitavastatin's expanding availability in Western markets suggests a growing role in clinical practice for dyslipidaemia management.
• Further research may elucidate pitavastatin's unique advantages and optimize its application in diverse patient populations.
• The findings support evidence-based recommendations for statin selection in cardiovascular risk reduction strategies.