Benefits of statin therapy and compliance in high risk cardiovascular patients

Joel A Lardizabal¹, Prakash C Deedwania^2
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California in San Francisco (Fresno-MEP), Fresno, CA, USA; ²University of California in San Francisco, Chief of Cardiology, Veterans Affairs Central California System, Fresno, CA, USA

Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the top cause of global mortality. There is considerable evidence that supports the mortality and morbidity benefit of statin therapy in coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, both in primary and secondary prevention settings. Data also exist pointing to the advantage of statin treatment in other high-risk CVD conditions, such as diabetes, CKD, CHF, and PVD. National and international clinical guidelines in the management of these CVD conditions all advocate for the utilization of statin therapy in appropriate patients. However, overall compliance to statin therapy remains suboptimal. Patient-, physician-, and economic-related factors all play a role. These factors need to be considered in devising approaches to enhance adherence to guideline-based therapies. To fully reap the benefits of statin therapy, interventions which improve long-term treatment compliance in real-world settings should be encouraged.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease, statin therapy, coronary heart disease, long-term treatment compliance