How Nonstatin Therapies Can Optimize Patients’ Cardiovascular Health | ASHP Midyear
John Bucheit, PharmD, discussed lipid-lowering medications and how nonstatins can be beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Lipid-lowering medications, also known as antihyperlipidemic drugs, are designed to lower patients’ cholesterol levels, in turn creating better cardiovascular outcomes.1 However, when it comes to the use of antihyperlipidemic drugs, patients are presented with multiple options.
John Bucheit, PharmD, Ambulatory Care Pharmacist and Assistant Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Pharmacy, discussed the 2 main types of cholesterol-maintaining medications: statins and nonstatins. Statins are considered the first line of defense when it comes to the regulation of a patients’ cholesterol. Nonstatins, on the other hand, are typically used in conjunction with statins.1-2
“When I think about lipid-lowering medications, I think about [it] as all-hands-on-deck. Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 cause of death in the United States. I really try to avoid looking at an ‘either or’ approach to statins versus nonstatins, and really think about how can we best manage this patient's cholesterol levels,” said Bucheit.
At the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2024 Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition, held December 8 to 12 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Bucheit hosted a session titled “Get Low: Use of Non-Statin Therapies in Reducing Residual Cardiovascular Risk.” Drug Topics caught up with him after to get further insights on nonstatins for improving patients’ cardiovascular health.
Follow along with our coverage of the 2024 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition here.
