The Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease: An Update

SUMMARY

Statins may have additional properties beyond diminishing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. These actions could reduce the risk of vascular events. For example, these lipid lowering drugs act on the vascular endothelium, smooth muscle, haemostatic factors and the vessel wall. There are several differences in how statins act on these systems. These observations, in turn, lead to the conclusion that all statins may not be equally effective in terms of vascular disease prevention.

Keywords: :

• Statins
• Endothelial function
• Vascular smooth muscle
• Haemostasis
• Vessel wall