Combination therapy with statins: who benefits?

Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2014 Dec;43(4):993-1006. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2014.08.005.

Abstract

Many lipid-lowering drugs improve cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. However, when therapies have been studied in addition to statins, it has been challenging to show an additional clinical benefit in terms of CV event reduction, although overall safety seems acceptable. This debate has been complicated by recent guidelines that emphasize treatment with high-potency statin monotherapy. Combination therapy allows more patients to successfully reach their ideal lipid targets. Further testing of novel therapies may introduce an era of potent low-density lipoprotein decrease without dependence on statins, but until then, they remain the mainstay of therapy.

Keywords: Cardiovascular risk; Cholesterol; Ezetimibe; Fibrates; Lipids; Niacin; Omega-3 fatty acids; Statin.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / adverse effects
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / standards*
  • Fenofibrate / adverse effects
  • Fenofibrate / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / adverse effects
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / adverse effects
  • Hypolipidemic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Niacin / adverse effects
  • Niacin / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Hypolipidemic Agents
  • Niacin
  • Fenofibrate