Search

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the developed countries continues to grow at an epidemic proportion. There are a significant number of young adults with no clinical evidence of CVD, but who have two or more risk factors that predispose them to CV events and death. Many of these risk factors are modifiable, and by controlling these factors, the CVD burden can be decreased significantly. Recent statistics have shown that, if all major forms of CVD were eliminated, the life expectancy would rise by almost 7 years. Hence it is imperative that primary prevention efforts should be initiated at a young age to avert decades of unattended risk factors. Hyperlipidemia has been linked to CVD almost a century ago. Since then various clinical trials have not only supported this link, but have also shown the CV benefits in aggressively treating patients with hyperlipidemia. In this generation, we have various therapeutic agents that are capable of reducing the elevated lipid levels. With drugs like statins, we are able to reduce the risk of CVD by about 30% and avoid major adverse events. Newer drugs are being researched and introduced in the treatment of hyperlipidemia in humans. These can be used in combination therapy resulting in optimal levels of lipids. The new National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)/Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) guidelines have come as a wake-up call to clinicians about primary prevention of CVD through strict lipid management and multifaceted risk management approach in the prevention of CVD.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients aged 65 and above. Although elderly persons represent only 12.4% of the US population, they account for about a third of drug expenditures. However the appropriate use of cardiovascular medications in these patients has been shown to reduce the rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The normal aging and the disease process in the elderly result in significant changes at the structural and molecular level in the elderly. The changes that take place in the autonomic nervous system, the kidneys, and the liver in the elderly modify the metabolism and clinical effects of most medications. Elderly patients are also susceptible to side effects and adverse drug reactions. Physicians should have a clear understanding of the normal aging processes, the abnormal changes due to disease process and the changes in the pharmacology of drugs in the elderly to deliver proper care to the elderly patient.