cholesterol management

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a strong relationship between elevated serum cholesterol and coronary heart disease (CHD) and serve as the basis for the "cholesterol hypothesis," which maintains that a decrease in serum cholesterol will reduce atherosclerotic disease. Trials have been designed to assess the impact of cholesterol lowering on quantitative measures of atherosclerotic disease, or on clinical cardiovascular events, cholesterol management.

Because it is now recognized that most acute coronary events are caused by the disruption of a nonobstructive coronary plaque,(1) this review will focus on recent trials that have been undertaken to determine the effects of such a disruption on clinical cardiovascular events. Analysis of the five major trials with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) that have been published in the past 5 years provides important insight into the relationship between treatment of cholesterol and prevention of acute coronary events and stroke, cholesterol management.