ABSTRACT
The basic concept of ‘biochemical risk’ for
arterial disease has now been validated by
randomized placebo-controlled studies of
statin and fibrate drugs. Protection from
CHD has been demonstrated when such
drugs are used to normalize plasma levels of
low density lipoproteins (LDL), fasting
triglycerides or high density lipoproteins
(HDL).3 As yet there is no evidence for a
clinical benefit from reducing plasma levels of
lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), but such studies are
difficult to conduct in the absence of specific
Lp(a)-lowering therapies.
