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Review
. 2025 Jan 28;27(1):29.
doi: 10.1007/s11883-025-01275-1.

Lipid Lowering Therapy Utilization and Lipid Goal Attainment in Women

Julie A E van Oortmerssen  1 , Janneke W C M Mulder  2 , Marte F van der Bijl  2 , Ruben J M Mijnster  2 , Maryam Kavousi  1 , Jeanine E Roeters van Lennep  3   4 ; IMPRESS consortium
Affiliations
Review

Lipid Lowering Therapy Utilization and Lipid Goal Attainment in Women

Julie A E van Oortmerssen et al. Curr Atheroscler Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current status of lipid-lowering therapy utilization and lipid goal attainment in women. We focus on lipid-lowering therapy in individuals with and without established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, as well as familial hypercholesterolemia. Additionally, this review aims to explore the underlying mechanisms driving these sex differences and to identify existing knowledge gaps in this area.

Recent findings: Despite the proven efficacy of lipid-lowering therapy in both sexes, real-world studies indicate that women with comparable risk profiles are less likely than men to receive these treatments. Furthermore, women who are prescribed statins typically receive lower-intensity regimens than men and are less likely to achieve guideline-recommended low-density lipoprotein cholesterol goals. Despite advancements in lipid-lowering therapies, women compared to men, are systematically undertreated. This difference is influenced by patient-related, physician-related, and societal factors.

Keywords: Anticholesteremic agents; Cardiovascular diseases; Cholesterol; Lipid lowering drugs; Lipids; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of Interest: Dr. Jeanine Roeters van Lennep received a grant from Novartis that was paid to the institution. This funding source had no role in writing of the manuscript. Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent: This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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