Beyond Statins: Lipid Management that Lasts
Dr. Raj Padwal
July 25, 2025
Cardiology (Heart & Vascular), Primary Care / Family Medicine
Dyslipidemia significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke; however, it is often asymptomatic. For PCPs, understanding risk factors, screening guidelines, treatment options, and potential complications is essential to effectively manage dyslipidemia and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. While several non-statin therapies are available to improve cholesterol levels, statins remain the first-line treatment for lowering LDL cholesterol and preventing CVD. However, statin intolerance - estimated to affect 5-30% of patients - can lead to reduced adherence and persistence with therapy, increasing the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. To address these challenges, the PLP hosted a webinar, delivered by Dr. Raj Padwal, highlighting evidence-based strategies for managing statin intolerance in the general population, approaches to caring for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, recent advances in PCSK9 inhibitor therapies, and referral criteria for complex cases to the University of Alberta Hospital Lipid Clinic. The Pearls for Practice resource summarizes the key clinical messages, and connects users with relevant practice guidelines, and the Let's Talk Cholesterol tool co-developed with PLP. To support ongoing spread and scale, a recording of the session and a curated Pearls for Practice resource are available on the PLP website, enabling physicians and healthcare teams to access the material asynchronously.