Antihyperlipidemic Treatment Options in Statin Resistance and Intolerance

Alexandrina Danilov, From the New York Medical College.
William H. Frishman, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, and Department of Cardiology, Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.
Wilbert S. Aronow, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College, and Department of Cardiology, Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY.

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the global leading cause of death and hypercholesterolemia is implicated as one of its top contributors. Moreover, there is growing recognition that lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels offer greater protection against cardiovascular disease. Statins are the first-line lipid-lowering agents for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients with hypercholesterolemia. However, statin resistance and intolerance lead to undertreatment in patients who would likely derive the most benefit from antihyperlipidemic drugs. Several non-statin therapies are increasingly prescribed to such patients, most commonly ezetimibe and the PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies, but numerous other options have been developed in recent years and investigations into new therapies are ongoing. The use of these non-statin therapies requires the clinician to take a highly personalized approach to cholesterol reduction in complex patients. In this review, we describe current non-statin options for statin-resistant and statin-intolerant patients in addition to areas of active research.