Benefits and safety on statins have been well-established over 20 years of research. Despite this, the vast majority of patients are not adequately treated and do not achieve the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target levels. This is mainly due to poor adherence, which is associated with dangerous and sometimes fatal outcomes. To increase adherence and prevent worse outcomes, a combination therapy with lower dosage of statins and new lipid-lowering drugs may be used. However, the implementation of new lipid-lowering drugs in European countries is still at the beginning. For these reasons, the aim of this position paper is to give an up-to-date indication from the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy in order to discuss the barriers towards statins adherence and new lipid-lowering drugs implementation in Europe.
Keywords: Ezetimibe; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; PCSK9 inhibitors; Position paper; Statin intolerance; Statins adherence.
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