Previous| Next| Table of Contents| Home Page

Drug Therapy for Hyperlipidemia
or
What to do if diet fails!

General Principles

1. Establish baseline lipids with at least two determinations.
2. Obtain baseline laboratory: Liver function [LFT], Thyroid function [TFT], Urinalysis for protein, to screen for secondary causes of hyperlipidemia.
3. Reinforce continued adherence to proper diet.
4. Determine the lipid abnormalities to be corrected: (LDL, Triglycerides, or both).
5. Choose drug according to lipid abnormalities.
6. Once drug therapy started, check lipids and appropriate chemistries at six-month intervals or less.
7. If goal lipoprotein targets are not achieved, then ACT:

• Advance dose of drug, or...
• Change to another drug, or...
• use Two or Three drugs Together,

               OR

• Refer to Lipid Specialist

Previous| Next| Table of Contents| Home Page