Beyond statins: evidence for other lipid-lowering drugs in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

The control of plasma lipids, and especially LDL-C levels is one of the actions on which clinical guidelines for reducing the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event are based, especially in secondary prevention. Cardiovascular prevention starts with lifestyles: a healthy diet, weight control and physical exercise. Statins are the first line drug due to the large body of evidence demonstrating their safety and efficacy. With the advent of drugs that allow major reductions in LDL-C levels, clinical practice guidelines have gradually reduced their limits for this substance, especially in patients with established cardiovascular disease.