The patient is not their LDL: the case for active follow-up

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51987/Rev.Hosp.Ital.B.Aires.v46i4.1388

Keywords:

Cholesterol, LDL, Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors, Atherosclerosis, Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Abstract

Should statin therapy be recommended for a healthy young adult with persistently elevated LDL cholesterol levels? The editors of the Revista del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires invite readers to reflect on this debated topic through a hypothetical clinical scenario.

Dr. Karin Kopitowski presents her arguments regarding the use of cholesterol-lowering pharmacological treatment in young adults with low short-term cardiovascular risk and discusses the factors that should be considered when making this decision.

Read also Dr. Walter Masson’s commentary [link].

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References

Ference BA, Ginsberg HN, Graham I, et al. Low-density lipoproteins cause atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. 1. Evidence from genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical studies. A consensus statement from the European Atherosclerosis Society Consensus Panel. Eur Heart J. 2017;38(32):2459-72. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx144 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehx144

Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, Gaudino M, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of dyslipidemia: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2026;153(17):e1154-e1276. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001423

Mach F, Koskinas KC, Roeters van Lennep JE, et al. 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias. Eur Heart J. 2025;46(42):4359-78. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf190 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehaf919

US Preventive Services Task Force. Statin use for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA. 2022;328(8):746-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.13044 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2022.13044

Jamoulle M. Quaternary prevention, an answer of family doctors to overmedicalization. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2015;4(2):61-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2015.24 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2015.24

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Published

2026-11-06

Data Availability Statement

Not applicable.

How to Cite

1.
Kopitowski K. The patient is not their LDL: the case for active follow-up. Rev Hosp Ital B.Aires [Internet]. 2026 Nov. 6 [cited 2026 Nov. 7];46(4):e0001388. Available from: https://ojs.hospitalitaliano.org.ar/index.php/revistahi/article/view/1388

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