Considering gender in prescribing statins: what do physicians need to know?

Numerous clinical studies with objectives such as mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular (CV) have reported the benefit of treatment for dyslipidemia with lipid-lowering therapy, in particular using the statins. But the trials conducted in past years did not consider the gender differences of statin effect, because women were poorly represented. All the results in terms of response, efficacy, reduction of LDL cholesterol and CV risk in primary and secondary prevention refer to men. In these recent years, it emerges the need to consider the different lipoprotein profile during lifetime and CV risk between men and women. Furthermore it is necessary to consider that, in patients with coronary artery disease, the lipid goal achieved is different between the two genders. Finally, we have to evaluate the side effects mostly present in women. In conclusion, there is a different prescription of these treatments in particular in the dosage used, that it is insufficient in women with cardiovascular disease. More recently it has emerged the exigency to use new guidelines that clearly indicate how should be the medical care, therefore, the specific way to treat men and women.