Cardiologist

  Clinical Pharmacist

 1. Introduction

 3. Objectives

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 5. Case Solution

 6. Summary

 7. Assessment

Now that you’ve reviewed the criteria for the three statin intensity levels, let’s review the best statin medications within the moderate and high intensity levels. We will not review low-intensity statins  since they are not included in the ACC/AHA guidelines.

 

There are currently seven statins available by prescription in the US (see accompanying charts). Statins (with dosage information) are recommended for both high- and moderate-intensity levels. These recommendations are based on research results and consider both effectiveness and risk as inclusion criteria.

 

For example, the highest dose of simvastatin–80 mg–is an effective high-intensity statin in terms of reducing LDL-C levels. However, because this dosage poses an increased risk of muscle problems and rhabdomyolysis, the FDA does not recommend that it be used as a high-intensity statin.

 

Select a statin intensity level to your right to review recommended statins and corresponding dosages.

 

• High-Intensity Statins (Reduce LDL-C > 50%)

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• Moderate-Intensity Statin (Reduce LDL-C between 30-50%)

   

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