Hyperlipidemia
Cardiovascular · ~11% of blueprint- Pathophysiology
- ↑ LDL/atherogenic lipoproteins → endothelial deposition → atherosclerotic plaque. Usually polygenic; familial hypercholesterolemia is the severe monogenic form.
- Signs & Symptoms
- Asymptomatic; found on lipid panel. Severe/familial: xanthelasma, tendon xanthomas, corneal arcus (esp. if premature).
- Gold Standard Diagnosis
- Fasting or non-fasting lipid panel. Risk-stratify with the ASCVD 10-year risk estimator.
- First-line Treatment
- Moderate- or high-intensity statin per ASCVD risk + lifestyle. Add ezetimibe ± PCSK9 inhibitor if LDL goal not met.
High-Yield Pearl
Statins are first-line for ASCVD prevention. Myalgias with normal CK are the common statin-associated muscle symptom; true myopathy is rare.
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Sources
Reviewed September 2026- 2018 AHA/ACC/Multisociety Guideline on the Management of Blood Cholesterol — AHA/ACC/Multisociety, 2018
- StatPearls: Familial Hypercholesterolemia — NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls, 2025
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