I have heard that taking a cholesterol-lowering agent prophylactically (i.e., atorvastatin [Lipitor] once a week) will prevent high cholesterol/increasing LDL. What are your thoughts on this?
—Michelle Laughlin, PA-C, Wilmington, Del.
Taking any statin at any dose can be expected to have some effect on serum lipids, but I can find no support for once-weekly dosing in the literature. The Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines support lowering cholesterol for both primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol). Accessed November 17, 2006). Statins used for primary or secondary prevention are dosed daily.
—Reuben W. Zimmerman, PA-C (98-14)
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