The Burning Necessity for Establishing National Guidelines - Side Effects of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Difficulty of using High Intensity Statins in Pakistani Population

Abstract

Lipid lowering strategy has been widely used in both the primary as well as the secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, particularly in managing patients who are either diagnosed with ischemic heart disease or stroke or face great susceptibility to developing these complications as a result of risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, sedentary lifestyle and so on [1,2]. The mechanism of action of Statins is by inhibition of the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase which is the rate-limiting step in cholesterol synthesis [3]. Statins hence have a great impact on the lipid metabolism and play a vital role in prevention of atherosclerotic complications [4]. They reduce LDL-C, Total cholesterol, and Triglyceride levels; slightly increase HDL-C levels [5]; and are also thought to have anti-inflammatory and other plaque stabilization effects, referred to as their pleiotropic properties [6].