Statin therapy in midlife women

The menopause transition is associated with adverse changes to the lipid profile. Although there are no specific treatment guidelines for women, current evidence supports the use of statin therapy in women with 1) established clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD); 2) primary hypercholesterolemia, with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol of 190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) or higher; 3) diabetes mellitus regardless of ASCVD risk category (ages 40-75 y); and 4) for primary prevention of ASCVD in women at high risk (10-y risk, ≥20%) or intermediate risk (10-y risk, ≥7.5-20%) with the presence of guideline-derived risk enhancers (age 40-75 y) such as premature menopause or a history of preeclampsia.