Statins: Cholesterol guidelines and Indian perspective

Statins have become an important drug in preventing the occurrence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The effectiveness of statins in reducing ASCVD has been established in large-scale clinical trials. The lipid management guidelines have been periodically modified due to accumulating evidence about the proportionate benefit achieved with a progressive reduction in cholesterol levels with higher doses of statins and even in those at low risk of development of ASCVD. The current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines have based its recommendations from data gathered exclusively from randomized controlled trials. It has simplified the use of statins, but also raised questions regarding the validity of its cardiovascular event risk prediction tool. Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in India differs from the western population; there is an increased the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and atherogenic dyslipidemia phenotype a group not addressed in the current guidelines. The guidelines are based on trials, which do not have a representative South Asian population. This article reviews the relevant literature, and examines the issues involved in adopting the guidelines to the Indian population.