Approach to Statin Use in 2016: an Update

Statin therapy is the pharmacologic foundation of cholesterol treatment and the most common class of medication prescribed in the USA. The clinical benefits of statins and their favorable side effect profile have been well established for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease prevention. With new guidelines on the treatment of dyslipidemia being published in the last several years, a greater percentage of the population now appears eligible for statin therapy. In this review, we discuss the updated American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and National Lipid Association guidelines on lipid treatment, both of which endorse the importance of shared decision making and patient-centered care. We discuss factors beyond traditional risk factors that may be useful in refining risk-based decision making. Furthermore, we summarize the available statins, their potential benefits and limitations, and recent evidence on safety and tolerability.