Lipid lowering therapy for acute coronary syndrome and coronary artery disease

Intensive lipid lowering therapy is important in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The 2017 Taiwan Lipid Guidelines for High Risk Patients was recently published. The guideline suggests that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) should be the primary target, and that the treatment goal of LDL-C is < 70 mg/dL for patients with ACS or stable CAD. A lower target of < 55 mg/dL is appropriate for patients with ACS and diabetes mellitus. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) < 100 mg/dL can be considered as the secondary target after achieving the LDL-C goal for patients with a triglyceride level > 200mg/dL. Statins are usually the first-line therapy. Moderate or high intensity statins are preferred, and up-titration to the highest recommended and tolerable dose to reach the target is necessary. Combination therapy with statins and other lipid-lowering drugs can also be considered. We hope the clinical outcomes of patients with ACS or CAD can be improved in Taiwan through the implementation of the guideline recommendations.