Clinical aspects of lipids Flashcards
Situations when you should measure lipids?
- MI, CVA, other vascular disease
- Acute pancreatitis
- Family history
- Clinical signs
Main treatment options for lipids?
Statins
Others= PCSK9 inhibitors, ezetimibe, fibrates
Describe a lipid?
- All lipids are fats
- Low solubility in water
- Biochemically very diverse
Key lipids?
Cholesterol
How are you likely to come across lipids?
Fatty deposits in tendons - xanthomata
Xanthelasma- fatty deposits around eyes
Corneal arcus
Milky blood/serum
What we measure in practice?
Total cholesterol HDL cholesterol Triglycerides as requested Calculate total HDL cholesterol ratio LDL cholesterol calculated as requested
What should balance of HDL and LDL be?
More LDL than HDL
Lipid hypothesis essentially?
That having too much lipid in your blood is a risk factor for CVD?
Why are statins important?
They lower cholesterol but they also inhibit the atherosclerotic mechanism and can sometimes reduce the atherosclerosis in arteries
Statins that you will come across?
Prevastatin Simvastatin Atorvastatin Rosuvastatin Fluvastatin
Examples of PCSK9 inhibitors?
Alirocumab
Evolocumab
Classes of lipid medications
Statins
PCSK9 Inhibitors
Fibrates
*something else)
Simvastatin summary
Lots of evidence that it reduces mortality
Efficacy isn’t the best
Pravastatin summary
Isn’t really prescribed
Atorvastatin summary?
One of the most commonly prescribed
