Acute coronary syndromes: hospital management of dyslipidaemia with proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 inhibitors: time to act.

Abstract

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in its countless clinical presentations is, in industrialized countries, the most frequent cause of death and, in recent years, a leading role in the prevention of ASCVD has been attributed to the treatment of dyslipidaemias. If statins and ezetimibe remain the cornerstone of pharmacological treatment, an increasingly relevant role is attributed to the inhibitors of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9i), as a result of the excellent results obtained in their respective trials, not only on the reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) but also on plaque stabilization and regression. The addition of PCSK9 inhibitors leads to a further reduction in LDL levels and a consequent improvement in prognosis and it is recommended in 'fast-track' administration (intrahospital/discharge) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACSs) or multiple cardiovascular events already on statin therapy and LDL >70 mg/dL and in statin-naïve ACS patients and LDL >140 mg/dL. By applying guidelines and fast-track, ∼25% of patients with ACS should receive PCSK9i at discharge but unfortunately patients are currently undertreated.