The HALTS trial--halting atherosclerosis or halted too early?

摘要

In patients with elevated cholesterol levels, statin therapy reduces the incidence of cardiovascular events by 25 to 45%. Despite the administration of a statin, many patients require additional lipid-lowering therapy because their target lipid-level goals are not reached or they have a cardiovascular event. Treatment can be intensified through further reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or attempts to raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.