Clinical efficacy and safety of statins in managing cardiovascular risk

Review

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Authors: Navin K Kapur, Kiran Musunuru

Published Date May 2008 Volume 2008:4(2) Pages 341 - 353

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S1653

Navin K Kapur¹, Kiran Musunuru²

¹Division of Cardiology, Tufts University – New England Medical Center; Boston, MA, USA; ²Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

Abstract: Since their introduction in the 1980s, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) have emerged as the one of the best-selling medication classes to date, with numerous trials demonstrating powerful efficacy in preventing cardiovascular outcomes. As our understanding of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and atherosclerosis continues to grow, the concept of ‘lower is better’ has corresponded with a ‘more is better’ approach to statin-based therapy. This review provides a detailed understanding of the clinical efficacy and safety of statins with a particular emphasis on the third generation drug, rosuvastatin.

Keywords: low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), efficacy, safety, HMGCo-A reductase inhibitors, rosuvastatin

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