Question

A 55-year-old man with no known cardiovascular disease attends for a periodic health examination. He is a non-smoker with well-controlled hypertension. His fasting lipid profile shows LDL-C 3.9 mmol/L, HDL-C 1.0 mmol/L and triglycerides 1.6 mmol/L. His 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk using a Canadian risk calculator is 15 percent (intermediate risk). According to the 2021 Canadian Cardiovascular Society dyslipidaemia guidelines, what is the most appropriate lipid-lowering strategy?

Accepted Answer

Initiate high-intensity statin therapy aiming for at least 50 percent reduction in LDL-C

Answer

Lifestyle modification alone, with repeat lipids in 5 years

Answer

Start low-dose statin therapy only if LDL-C exceeds 5.0 mmol/L

Answer

Begin fibrate monotherapy targeting triglyceride reduction

Answer

Use niacin to raise HDL-C as first-line therapy

Practice question