PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR ATHEROSCLEROSIS - ROLE OF HMG-COA REDUCTASEINHIBITORS

Despite recent advances in risk assessment, detection, and treatment, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) causes nearly one out o f every two deaths in the United States. In addition, the cost of trea ting ASCVD and its related complications exceeds $120 billion annually , Hypercholesterolemia, particularly total and low density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol, is a major risk factor for the development and progr ession of ASCVD. Therapy for hypercholesterolemia focuses on reducing total and LDL cholesterol, which usually requires both dietary modific ations and medications. Although several classes of pharmaceutical age nts are available, the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors produce the most c onsistently positive results with minimal associated toxicity.