Hormonal
Aggressive LDL cholesterol lowering with high-dose statins (e.g., atorvastatin 80mg) significantly reduces major cardiovascular events and induces regression of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes, even when baseline LDL levels are within normal ranges.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, your risk of heart disease is significantly higher than the general population. Current medical guidelines recommend statin therapy for most diabetic patients, regardless of whether your cholesterol numbers look 'normal' on a standard test. Aggressive treatment with high-dose statins (like atorvastatin 80mg) is proven to shrink existing plaque in your arteries and significantly reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. This is a primary prevention strategy that should be discussed with your doctor, especially if you have other risk factors like high blood pressure or smoking history.
The cholesterol treatment trialists analyzed data from 18,686 subjects with diabetes... In the statin treated group there was a 9% decrease in all cause mortality, a 13% decrease in vascular mortality, and a 21% decrease in major vascular events... The Reversal Trial... patients treated with atorvastatin had no change in atheroma burden (there was a very slight regression of lesions)... The Saturn trial demonstrated that aggressive lipid lowering with either atorvastatin 80mg or rosuvastatin 40mg would induce regression of coronary artery atherosclerosis... if the LDL levels were reduced to less than 70mg/dl.
Why this rating
Based on multiple large-scale randomized controlled trials (HPS, CARDS, Reversal, Prove-It, TNT, IDEAL) with consistent findings across diabetic subgroups.
Source
The significance of ratio between serum triglycerides and HDL cholesterol as a common man’s bio marker of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross sectional comparative study
Krishnamurthy HA et al. · Journal of Medical and Scientific Research · 2023
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