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Published on: November 10, 2017

Novel Therapies, Residual Risk, Familial Hypercholesterolemia, and Digital Tools: Multispecialty Insights from a

António Mesquita-Lousada1, Antónia Rocha-Melo-Sousa1,2, Carolina Teixeira3

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|June 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Physician familiarity with novel lipid therapies and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) detection is limited, with cost being a major barrier. Digital tools show promise for improving cardiovascular risk management and adherence to guidelines.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Preventive Medicine

Background:

  • Contemporary guidelines emphasize intensive low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering and advanced lipid biomarkers.
  • Gaps persist in clinician knowledge and implementation of these strategies for cardiovascular risk stratification.
  • Novel therapies and diagnostic tools require evaluation for clinical practice integration.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess clinician familiarity with novel lipid-lowering therapies (PCSK9 inhibitors, inclisiran, bempedoic acid).
  • To evaluate approaches to residual cardiovascular risk management and confidence in identifying familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).
  • To determine the perceived usefulness of digital decision-support tools in dyslipidemia care.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional online survey of 95 physicians involved in dyslipidemia care was conducted in October 2025.
  • The survey assessed familiarity, access barriers, and confidence regarding novel therapies, FH detection, residual risk assessment, and digital tools.
  • Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

  • Only 20.0% of clinicians were familiar with all three novel lipid-lowering therapies; 49.5% faced access barriers (cost, reimbursement).
  • Confidence in managing complex dyslipidemia was moderate; 31.6% did not routinely assess residual risk post-LDL-C target.
  • Most respondents favored digital decision-support tools and automated risk alerts for improving care.

Conclusions:

  • Significant implementation gaps exist in current dyslipidemia management, particularly concerning novel therapies and residual risk assessment.
  • Clinician confidence in recognizing familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and expectations for lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] testing vary by specialty.
  • There is strong receptiveness to digital decision-support tools, presenting an opportunity to enhance evidence-based cardiovascular care.

Keywords:
LDL-CPCSK9 inhibitorsapolipoprotein Bcardiovascular risk assessmentdigital decision-supportfamilial hypercholesterolemialipoprotein(a)

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