Non-Statin Treatment for LDL Cholesterol with Dr. John J.P. Kastelein

Dr. Bouchard discusses “Non-Statin Treatment for LDL Cholesterol ” with Dr. John J.P. Kastelein, M.D., Ph.D., FESC. Professor of Medicine, University of Amsterdam.

Despite the 30 years of advances in lipid management and more patients being treated with a statin, approximately 70% of our patients still remain at risk of developing an ASCVD event: In the FOURIER analysis of patients with cardiovascular disease treated with a statin only or with a statin and a PCSK9 antibody (evolocumab), patients on statin only had 20% more cardiovascular events that included: MI, stroke or death. The ODYSSEY clinical trial demonstrated the benefits of another PCSK9 inhibitor, Alirocumab on a background of statin treatment in patients who experienced an MI or unstable angina episode and lowered the incidence of adverse events by 15%. IMPROVE-IT clinical trial demonstrated that the addition of ezetimibe to simvastatin was superior in preventing adverse cardiac outcomes compared to simvastatin alone with an absolute reduction of cardiac events by 2%.