Why treat hypercholesterolemia?
1. Cholesterol correlates directly with CHD prevalence • Hypercholesterolemia, in addition to other risk factors, contributes to CHD • Numerous studies have evaluated the relationship between blood cholesterol and the incidence of CHD • These trials show a direct relationship between cholesterol and the incidence of CHD, overall mortality rates, and mortality rates from CHD • The relationship between cholesterol levels and CHD is consistent among the young and old, men and women, black and white, and people with and without CHD • There is also a relationship between LDL-C and the incidence of CHD (i.e. higher levels of LDL-C correlate with higher incidence of CHD) • Observational studies show that total cholesterol levels are predictors of future myocardial infarction in patients with CAD 2. Decreasing cholesterol can slow the progression of atherosclerosis • For every 1% decrease in cholesterol, there is a 2% decrease in CHD • Numerous trials, called “angiographic regression trials” s
