How to optimize lipid-lowering therapy: do not forget patient's non-compliance
Radermecker, R.P.; Scheen, A.J.
Revue Medicale de Liege 65(5-6): 311-317
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0370-629X PMID: 20684412 Document Number: 646008
The pharmacological treatment of dyslipidaemia, essentially by statins, should take place in a global strategy of prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Treating a risk factor, asymptomatic by definition, which imposes an early constraint for a potential late benefit, exposes to patient's noncompliance. Besides physician's clinical inertia to initiate and adjust the lipid-lowering therapy in at risk patients, such lack of patient's compliance is one of the key elements that may explain the failure to reach or maintain therapeutic targets, and represents a major pharmacoeconomical concern. This article analyses first the main reasons explaining the poor compliance to lipid-lowering therapy and, then, describes some approaches to improve patient's adherence to medications in order to better prevent cardiovascular diseases.