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FPIN's Clinical Inquiries
From the Family Practice Inquiries Network

Target LDL-C Level or Fixed-Dose Treatment for ASCVD

Richard Guthmann, MD, MPH
Adam Korte, MD
Robert Martin, DO

American Family Physician. 2026;113(2):183-184.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.

This clinical content conforms to AAFP criteria for CME.

RICHARD GUTHMANN, MD, MPH; ADAM KORTE, MD; and ROBERT MARTIN, DO, Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency, Chicago

Address correspondence to Richard Guthmann, MD, MPH, at rickguthmann@gmail.com.

Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.

  1. 1.Baigent C, Blackwell L, Emberson J, et al.; Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' (CTT) Collaboration. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet. 2010;376(9753):1670-1681.
  2. 2.Silverman MG, Ference BA, Im K, et al. Association between lowering LDL-C and cardiovascular risk reduction among different therapeutic interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2016;316(12):1289-1297.
  3. 3.Cannon CP, Blazing MA, Giugliano RP, et al.; IMPROVE-IT Investigators. Ezetimibe added to statin therapy after acute coronary syndromes. N Engl J Med. 2015;372(25):2387-2397.
  4. 4.Hong SJ, Lee YJ, Lee SJ, et al.; LODESTAR Investigators. Treat-to-target or high-intensity statin in patients with coronary artery disease: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2023;329(13):1078-1087.
  5. 5.Hong KS, Bang OY, Park JH, et al. Moderate-intensity rosuvastatin plus ezetimibe versus high-intensity rosuvastatin for target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goal achievement in patients with recent ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial. J Stroke. 2023;25(2):242-250.
  6. 6.Amarenco P, Kim JS, Labreuche J, et al.; Treat Stroke to Target Investigators. Benefit of targeting a LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol <70 mg/dL during 5 years after ischemic stroke. Stroke. 2020;51(4):1231-1239.
  7. 7.Virani SS, Newby LK, Arnold SV, et al.; Peer Review Committee Members. 2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline for the management of patients with chronic coronary disease: a report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2023;148(9):e9-e119.

Clinical Inquiries provides answers to questions submitted by practicing family physicians to the Family Physicians Inquiries Network (FPIN). Members of the network select questions based on their relevance to family medicine. Answers are drawn from an approved set of evidence-based resources and undergo peer review. The strength of recommendations and the level of evidence for individual studies are rated using criteria developed by the Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group (https://www.cebm.net).

The complete database of evidence-based questions and answers is copyrighted by FPIN. If interested in submitting questions or writing answers for this series, go to https://www.fpin.org or email questions@fpin.org.

Copyright © Family Physicians Inquiries Network. Used with permission.

This series is coordinated by John E. Delzell Jr., MD, MSPH, associate medical editor.

A collection of FPIN’s Clinical Inquiries published in AFP is available at https://www.aafp.org/afp/fpin.

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